My Version of GG5
by All That is Goode
Summary: CONTAINS GG4 SPOILERS! I'm not going to write an actual summary for those who haven't read Only the Good Spy Young, because I don't want to spoil it for them...but the story is better than this...Rated T because...well, better safe than sorry...
1. Chapter 1

**Um….first of all I just want to say I'm really new to how this whole thing works; I've read the stories I've just never actually uploaded one so this is my first. I'd really love feedback on it- and if you think it's awful, just say so NICELYJ. And of course I am not Ally Carter-though I wish I was- and so therefore all character and Gallagher Girl rights are hers. Um, I'd really like people to not use like any of my writing though…I don't know if you do it, but I just thought I'd mention it. Also, if you haven't already read GG4 I highly advise you not to read this since it CONTAINS GG4 SPOILERS! However, it's your decisionJ. And lastly, I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter One**

**Cammie's POV**

I had been on the run for over three weeks now; so far, no encounters-with anyone. Which, if you ask me, is a good thing and a bad thing. I mean, I didn't want my mom or any of the Gallagher Girls-my sisters-, or…Zac following me. And I didn't want to run INTO any COC members, but I also NEEDED to find them, well their base anyways; their probably the ones who could give me the answers I'm looking for. However, making a mistake once I get that far would. Not. Be. Good. Since, after all, THEY are in fact trying to capture, and possibly, kill me.

I was scoping through the streets of D.C., well, one street in particular, one that involved a certain boy/man, a certain wonderfully-smelling jacket of that boy's, and my aunt…getting shot…and almost dying. Yeah it hurt to be here, where my aunt almost died, but I was so desperate at this point to find something, _anything_. But the difference between coming here now, as apposed to 5 months ago, is that now I can look back on that night and at least one of the questions that came from it was answered. I now knew why the Circle guy, that wouldn't have thought twice about shooting anyone else that was helping me, lowered his gun, and said," You?" when he saw that person was Zac, like he knew him, like he really knew him. I still hadn't figured out how I felt about that answer.

But as I walked through the street, paying attention to every detail, noticing every characteristic, I couldn't stop having flashbacks of that night. Where Zac and I stood and he handed me his jacket, the spot where Macy stood and I thought the CoC would get her but then realized they were after ME, the spot where my aunt was shot, and then…where the guy ran away…from Zac. Yet the tire marks on the road where gone, there were no blood stains, no proof that that night even happened, nothing but my Aunt Abby's gun shot scar, Zac's jacket-that still hung in my closet, and my memories-memories I would probably never lose. But more importantly, nothing that would lead me to something new.

I should have known it would have been a waste of time, nothing but a haunted memory, but I was desperate, and unfortunately I still am. (Mental Note to Self: Next time you're going to run away to look for answers, research more leads on where to find those answers.)

Right as I'd given up-which is after my fifth lap of the street, I heard very soft footsteps behind me- _spy_ soft. Rule 1 to not let them know you're onto them: don't freeze; keep going. However, I did slow my pace by a fraction. The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Rule 2 when they get this close: spin around, catch them off guard, and _attack_.

So as I'm flawlessly turning, raising my arm, preparing to strike, a set of arms encircled me as the person tackled me to the ground. So I did what any regular civilian would do when a random mugger/attacker came up to them: scream. I was rewarded by my attacker putting his hand over my mouth….hand? If…if it was the Circle, it would be a gag, wouldn't it? I mean in the past, someone covering my mouth with their hand always ended up being a certain mysterious boy who always seemed to appear at all different times and then disappear the next moment…nah, it couldn't be…

Even if it was, I was still planning on fighting back, and kicking whoever's butt it was no matter whose it was. However, it was getting really hard to do that with my attacker mostly succeeding in pinning me to the ground- and I still hadn't gotten a glimpse of who they were. That is until I was able to at least wiggle myself off my stomach onto my back and look up into a set of beautiful green eyes, right as my attacker whispered," Take it easy Gallagher Girl, no need to get hostile," and I knew he was smirking while he said it with out even looking at him while he did it.

**Sooo….yep! That's Chapter One. Hoped it wasn't too bad, and if it was it should get more interesting in the next couple of chapters. Tell me what you thought if you want- if you don't want- either oneJ I'll upload Chapter 2 very soon. -AddictedToBooks08**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who read Chapter Two, and for those who reviewed… it's so cool to log on and check and see it there. Oh, and to the people who put my story on their alert thingy...it makes me feel special :)**

**Chapter Two**

**Cammie's POV**

HOW? HOW COULD HE HAVE FOUND ME? I hadn't stayed in one place for more than a day- a day in a half if you count the time that I was seriously reconsidering going back to Gallagher! I was super aware-ALL THE TIME! I watched my back constantly; I looked for outfit changes, disguises, suspicions, _everything_! THERE IS NO WAY I COULD HAVE OVER LOOKED HIM!

THEN HOW IN THE FREAKING WORLD DID HE KNOW I WAS HERE?

During my little mental freak out I forgot Zac removed his hand from my mouth-however not himself- and was actually talking to me…

"Gallagher Girl...Hello?...You who?" ohhhh, the smirk on his face…."Don't look so shocked to see me... people will start to believe that your losing your touch if you couldn't figure out you were being followed this whole time."

"But you weren't-well I mean NOW you were-in this alley- but there's no way you've been tailing me for the past three weeks; I'll admit your good Zac, but you're not that good." I knew I was right too-though I doubt he'd admit it. I was apparently wrong though.

"Which means, I guess I'd have to admit your pretty good too then to know I wasn't," he said, growing serious.

"Then how…" but I just stopped figuring I wouldn't get an answer anyways.

But he must have actually wanted to answer this time," 'How did I know where you were?' I didn't; not 100%, I just figured you'd go back to one of the places you were attacked…maybe hoping to find something you already knew wasn't there…I guess I just got lucky…"

At this point we realized he was still, well, on top of me, and so he carefully lifted himself up and then took my hand and helped me. (Even though I didn't really need his help; it was more out of courtesy.)

"This doesn't change anything." I said matter-of-factly.

"Change what?" he asked innocently.

"Whatever Zac, I gotta go." And I started walk around him, but Zac apparently wasn't done.

"Gallagher Girl, just where do you think you're going?" he didn't say it meanly…I guess more rhetorically.

"I don't have time for this; I have to go, and you most certainly are not coming."

"And why is that?"

"You asked me to run away with you and I said no…for a reason. I'm not just going to change that now that you're here."

"Why do you have to say no? Why do you have to do this by yourself? Because let me tell you something, this isn't something you have to do alone." Yep, he was mad.

"BECAUSE! I TOLD YOU! It's always everyone else, everyone but ME that gets hurt, and if I let someone come with me, there's still that same chance now."

"But, Cam-"

Yes I know that's probably one of-ok first ever-time that he called me by my name, but I wasn't going to give in just because of it," Yeah, I know, they'll think twice about killing you too. But that doesn't mean they won't; what if it's not even your mom we run into? And this last time, you didn't get hurt and almost die because of them; YOU blew up the tombs and nearly killed YOURSELF in the process. I don't want you to have that kind of opportunity to do anything like that again…" I was avoiding his eyes by this point.

"We're _spies_; we constantly put our lives on the line for a more important cause. Have you not figured that out yet?"

"Of course I have! My. Father. Died. For that cause. But it doesn't mean you have to go and do stupid stuff like almost blow yourself up-"

"But if it's what I had and ever _have_ to do to make sure you get out alive, then I'm going to do it."

"And that's why I don't want you to come…" this time I almost sounded pleading.

"Gallagher Girl…I hate to tell you, but whether or not you tell me I _can_, I will."

"No! Zac, I'm going alone, and I will make darn sure you can't follow me. Now please just let me go…"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," and now he would be smirking again…curse his darn smirk!

"Well I'm going to whether YOU can or can't, whether I have to fight you or not." I have to admit, I can be _really_ stubborn sometimes.

"Really?" and now he wasn't even trying to be serious anymore." Don't you remember what happened last time?…I do believe _I_ won."

"That was almost two years ago, Zac," I suddenly sounded really serious," people change; people get better."

He sobered at my new tone," I know," only two words, yet I swear we were talking about something more than just that match.

We had this little staring match for a little, but when I decided we were both too stubborn to give in, I ended it," Fine Zac, if you want to do it the hard way…" and I swung my right fist for his ribs.

But he just caught it…_just like that_…but then nothing. Okay! Fine! So I just did the same thing with my other hand…he caught it again and then held both of my hands in one of his, but then did NOTHING! Is he not catching on or something? I tried to wriggle my hands out of his; unfortunately, his are much bigger and are stronger. He was leaving me with no choice…I tried to knee him in the gut, but he just knocked it aside, which caused me to lose my balance.

He probably meant to do that because the next minute he was catching me mid-fall with his free hand around my waist. It was just like the first time he kissed me after he dipped me in front of everyone in the Great Hall. But this time it was different; then I didn't have the weight of the COC chasing after me; then Zac and I were purposefully messing with each others' heads; then, well then, things were a lot simpler.

But like then, he kissed me now. As much as it was totally amazing…HE TOTALLY WASN'T PLAYING FAIR! Although… I wasn't going to take the time right now to tell him that…

Without breaking the kiss, he guided me back up, and gained enough confidence that I was done fighting that he also released my hands. So now that he had both hands, he wrapped both around my waist, and pulled me even closer to him. Without anywhere else to go, my arms wrapped comfortably around his neck.

But like everything good in my life, it had to come to an end.

I pulled away slowly, not wanting to scare him.

While we were both still catching our breaths, I caught him off guard and so I took off running towards the main street," Bye Zac," I whispered just loud enough so that his spy ears should hear.

"Where do you think you're going?" Apparently, I didn't catch him enough off guard, because next thing I knew had grabbed my arm and swung me around.

"I told you…I'm going by myself-"

"Cammie, do you think I'm going to let you go off by yourself with people are trying to possibly kill you, when I had the chance to stop you?" he was angry now…well finally. "What if something bad happens to you and you _need_ help? But no one knows where you are to safe you. What if you do get kidnapped? How are we supposed to know we have to rescue you?"

"Zac-"

"Cam, think. When has a spy ever gone in without backup and everything turned out right?"

Now he had struck a nerve," Of course I know that that doesn't happen; my dad _died_, Zac, because as far as we know, he _didn't_ have back up."

"I know and I'm sorry," he was sincere," but do you think he would want you to do the same thing he did, and have the same thing happen to you?"

"Better me, than anyone else." I whispered quietly.

He heard though, and continued solemnly," I know you believe that, but that's how this is, because you're more important to keep safe than anyone else. They _don't know_ why the Circle wants you, but they know that whatever the reason, it's not good, and that they can't let them get you...who knows what the COC would do if they did," he ended up starting really loudly and finishing really quiet.

I would have continued to defend myself, and say how my family always is more important, but I was momentarily distracted," Why do you say 'they' when you're talking about the CIA, and my mom if we're all on the same side?"

"I don't know, Cam. Am I?" he wouldn't meet my eyes at first, but then he did, and he looked really sad.

"I don't know Zac, are you? Because if you want to be, you are…your mom doesn't matter." Okay, it's not that I wasn't still unsure about **that** whole issue, but I did know that if wanted to be on our side, I wasn't going to stop him because he had proven to me that he was good-whether he knew it all himself- regardless of his mom.

Zac didn't answer; he just looked down like he was ashamed, or afraid that I would take it back. I admit, I hate seeing him like this, this sad and lost and lonely, and…unsure. So against my better judgment, I did not change my opinion, however I changed my answer.

I started to move to the side of him, and looked over at him," Come on, Zac."

"Where are we going?" Zac was back, smirk and all.

Ignoring his smirk, I answered him with confidence and a smirk of my own, "Well, first we're going to go find something to eat, because I haven't eaten in six hours, and then you're going to help me find the answers we've both wanted to know for a long time now."

**There's Chapter Two; way longer than Chapter One. I hope you liked all the Zammie… and I didn't think she should cave so easily like she has in some others, because she said no in the first place at the end of GG4 for a reason…but I had to have Zac in there too because I absolutely loved all the moments with him in GG4. So review, and otherwise I should be posting Chapter 3 soon. -AddictedToBook08**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, thanks to everyone that's read and reviewed; and to the people who added my as a fav and on their alert thingy…I LOVE YOU :) Oh, and hope you enjoy Chapter Three…I know it's short, but I got to the end of it and was like 'it would be perfect to end this chapter here' so I did :)**

**Chapter 3**

**Cammie's POV**

Yeah, I know I probably should have just stuck to my gut, and kicked his butt…I mean let's face it: that is more fun, but…part of me heard what he said and the spy part agreed. So I guess that's why: I'm a spy so I shouldn't let the _other_ sides of me get involved while I'm being a spy.

Now we were sitting in a cute little diner off the main street that had fifties booth, and a counter that had swinging chairs attached. All the food around us looked- and _smelled_- delicious; of course, I hadn't had a full, decent meal in, well, three weeks (I'm trying to ration the money so it lasts all summer, and so I also have enough to get back home).

Zac and I just sat there quietly for awhile; finally, it looked he was going to say something, but then our food came-which smelled even better up close- and I think he understood that there was no way I was going to hear him over my mouth inhaling the food. So more silence; besides, it's really easy to be overheard in a public place like that, and we definitely didn't need that.

When we were done, we just paid and left, heading towards a little park area that would ensure more privacy to talk freely. Whether it was part of the cover or for real, Zac took my hand in his as we stealthily made our way to the most centralized bench that was farthest from the sidewalks and streets. We sat down but then waited for a jogger to pass before we started discussing things.

"Alright Zac, spill, what do you all know?" I gave him a 'solely business' look to hopefully show him that now I was more serious than ever to know what he did.

However he looked extremely uneasy," Cam…I know you think that my mom wasn't lying when she told you your dad's alive, but she will say anything if she thinks it'll get you to do whatever she wants, and-"

"You said you were going to _help_ me, not argue, not road block, _help_; so start helping."

He didn't look quite as uneasy, but he was still worried," Gallagher Girl, it's not as easy as you think. Even with what I know-the little I know- none of it would be helpful in finding the answers you want. Of course I wish I could tell you what you want to hear; of course I wish I could tell you your father's alive and being held in some remote base; of course I wish I could be able to tell you _why in the freaking world_ the Circle's after you in the _first_ _place_. But I can't, because I don't know. And I can't tell you who would even have high enough clearance in the COC to know any of those things, or where any documents that would be of help would be located."

As much as I wanted to be angry with Zac for not knowing anything useful, I couldn't. Just because his mom was one of the head leaders of the COC doesn't mean she'd disclose classified information like that to him; my mom's the headmistress of Gallagher, and high clearance personal, but just because she's my mom doesn't mean she tells me everything she knows…I mean we all know how little I'm told around here.

Defeated, and exhausted all of a sudden, I laid my head against his shoulder," I know you don't; I just wish one of us did."

Noticing the change in me, Zac wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and brought me closer to him," We will find answers, Cam; with the two of us, we'll find answers. I promise."

"How? How are we going to magically figure out where useful information might be?" I know it sounds like I'm just ready to give up, but I'm not…I'm just _tired_, and doubtful.

Alright ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for this Zac Goode original answer?

…He pointed to himself, with a smirk on his face and said," Spy."

**So was I right that it was good ending it there, or should I have kept going? :) Let me know what you think so far…I'm gonna start writing Chapter 4 after school today, so it probably won't be up until tomorrow morning. –AddictedToBooks08**


	4. Chapter 4

**This one is super long, but I didn't know how to divide it into two chapters so I didn't…but, a plus side, there's some-well lots-of Zammie…Sorry it took so long, I had this thing after school yesterday and it took longer than I thought it would….Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4**

**Cammie's POV**

Turns out, Zac knows more than he leads you to believe, although he probably doesn't count the multiple bases, several COC safe houses, and thousands of recruits that are worth absolute crap to us. But we had to try something…

So a day and a half later, after falling asleep on the park bench, being woken up by a very angry police officer when he found us asleep on said park bench, _finally_ leaving said park bench to find answers, and several hitch hikes with some very nice truckers, we were checking into a motel in the Middle of Nowhere, Idaho. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon and the manager was giving us a funny look when Zac said we were both 21, as if the manager didn't believe us and thought we were up to no good…smart man. None the less, he gave us a room, although he would have done us a favor if he hadn't.

The room was more run down than the outside led it to be (which was already pretty bad); there were holes in the walls where it looked like two people had gotten seriously angry with one another. Parts of the ceiling plaster had started to crumble, dropping white plaster dust _everywhere_. The bed was a spring mattress, which-don't get me wrong-can be comfortable compared to nothing, however, this one was as hard as a rock and practically collapses when you lay on it. Luckily, this hotel was just a cover; we planned on making sure everything's ready here, waiting for night fall, and then sneaking out through the window, raiding the nearby COC base, and by the time we would be done it'd be time to check out. See? No sleeping on an uncomfortable, lumpy mattress anywhere in the plan.

But what I didn't consider in forming such plan is that we'd have all the gear ready to roll and be left with 4 hours 'till we could leave… so _of course_ Zac decided it would be good if we got some sleep during this time since we'd probably be up all night tonight. *Sigh* So much for my brilliant plan.

Now, you're probably wondering how Zac and I decided who gets the bed. (You'd think neither of us would even want it, but it was better, well _safer_ than the floor when who knows what would crawl on you.) Well, we decide the matter with maturity, calmness, and a very violent game of Rock-Paper-Scissors…hey! Don't laugh…it's not nice. So far, I had won every time, so of course the one time I lose is the one time I really, _really_ don't want to. I still got the floor, though.

As if I wasn't already freaked out enough, as Zac was starting to go to sleep, he decided it was the perfect time to smirk," Hey Cam? Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Okay, that's totally not funny, because there probably is very gross, very large, radioactive things somewhere in this awful room, and I'd probably turn into some creepy mutant if they bit me. Well, now I was wide awake and super alert.

I know, I know, I'm acting like such a girl…not a spy. But it's the one thing I can't take, my one weakness; you can physically and mentally torture me for hours, and I'll never tell anything, hold a bug up to my face and I will blurt the most top secret secret…okay maybe I'm exaggerating just a little, but I _really hate_... "BUGS!"

I swear I was off that floor, up on the rock bed, quicker than I can identify the ten top wanted people of the world (which is 8 seconds by the way). Zac slowly regained consciousness with a very irritated mood and kept muttering things like," Go away…shut up…"

Mean while, I had just been inches away from the three largest cockroaches known to man; they were big, they were dark, and they were terrorizing me!

"ZAC! GET YOUR LAZY, NO GOOD BUTT UP!" I screamed in his ear and shook him-which was really more for the fun of it than that I was actually scared.

_"What do you want, Cammie?"_

"Zac…? I know I'm being ridiculous, but you _have to_ kill those roaches." I know I probably sound pretty bossy, but that's about as nice as I can put it when I'm this freaked.

I think he was still too asleep to be cocky or arrogant at this time because, with his head still against his pillow, he just sounded annoyed when he replied," Gallagher Girl, you know how to kill a man twice your height and body weight over 100 different ways in less than 10 seconds and wouldn't think twice about if you ever had to…so it shouldn't be that hard to just stomp on the bugs."

"Except these bugs are immortal, so when I try and kill them, they won't die. Instead, they'll get angry, and start viciously attacking me… Zac, come on…" I realized maybe if I was nicer to him, he would get up, so instead of ferociously shaking him, I gently pushed him from side to side, the more I pushed him the more awake he got.

"Okay fine! But first say the magic password."

Like an innocent 4-year-old, I said," _Please."_

By this point he was just about back to his normal, awake self," No. Guess again."

Uh oh, he had his smirk on his face; whatever he wanted me to say was not going to be good. When I just glared at him, he continued," Say it. Say, 'Zac is the greatest spy ever, and is obviously better than (say your name here), since she (you say you) can't even kill a little, harmless bug."

Each word might as well have been poison, but not all poisons kill you; those roaches however, would. Staring daggers at him, with clench teeth and a forced smile, I repeated," Fine. Zac is the greatest spy ever, and is obviously better than me, since I can't even kill a little, harmless bug."

Smirking, he stiffly started to get up and move towards the side of the room his shoes lay on. He picked them both up and found his targets. Drowsily, he threw one shoe, killing 2 at the same time, and the other shoe killing the one that was left, and then walked back over to the bed.

"Alright, it's safe; you can go back down now." He smiled evilly.

Meanwhile, I had crawled under the covers to hide.

Since I didn't answer him quick enough, he went on," Or, I guess, since we only have three and a half hours before we have to go, we both can just stay up here; I'll forfeit my win, and share."

As I just stared at him shocked, he just laid down right next to me, put his head on the pillow and started to fall asleep again. Meanwhile, I was stuck between a comfortable bed…or floor…sort of comfortable bed…or cockroach patrolling floors…?

"I'm doing something nice, and giving you a break, so now would be the time to relax and go to sleep before I kick you off and you're stuck with the roaches again." I could tell…he was smirking.

Just for the record, I laid down because I wanted to, not because I thought he'd _actually_ kick me off.

It was kind of weird…having him there next to me. How could he seem so calm about it? Maybe, it's fine and I'm just weird, because if you think about, that would make a lot of sense.

"Cam, _relax_, I promise the bugs aren't going to crawl up here and get you…there's plenty of things for them to get on the floor. But I can't sleep if I can feel you're all tense," Zac rolled over so that he was looking at me now. He reached up his hand to gently touch my face, and started tracing little pictures on my cheek.

The feel of his hand on my cheek sent these little tingly feelings through my face that were hypnotizing, telling me over and over, "Go to sleep; go to sleep."

Right as I started to drift into incomprehensible thoughts that would obviously lead to dreams, Zac softly whispered, "Gallagher Girl?"

My eyes drowsily opened," Hmm?" I asked, too sleepy to speak real _words_.

He looked torn, like he wanted to say something but also didn't," Nothing, never mind…"

"Zac, what is it?" he was making me nervous.

"Just…try not to do anything too stupid tonight…I don't know what's going to be there- or who- but…try to remember a lot of people are really worried about you, and wouldn't want you to end up hurt or…-"

Aw, he was worried about me, sweetly I said," I know; I won't…besides, I'm not the one who thinks its fun to almost kill yourself, while trying to blow everything up, and say goodbye as you're doing it-"I didn't mean to go on a tirade, it just sort of, kind of, came out,"-then make me think you're dead, and then show up a couple days later with hardly a broken bone, and slightly singed hair," I'm pretty sure I had really upset face. Very quietly I repeated," I thought you were gone; the whole time between after you shot the explosives, and then reappeared…I thought you were gone."

He could tell how distressed I was and brought me into a tight hug, he sounded so sincere," I'm sorry Cam, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do that to you- I don't _ever_ want to do that to you. But then at least you can understand why I don't want to lose you either."

I pulled back because I wanted to watch his face when I said what I was about to. I didn't say it meanly, just sad," Why, Zac?...I thought you had 'nothing to lose'?"

I bet he didn't think I'd remember him saying that, but he looked hurt to know that I did, and that I had kind of used it against him.

He whispered so softly," Maybe I was wrong; maybe I lied."

Without even giving me time to respond he just rolled right over and went to sleep, leaving me laying there more confused then ever.

**Was it too long? I hope it wasn't. I hope you liked. Since there's no school for the next two days, I'll probably be able to get Chapter 5-and hopefully Chapter 6- up quicker…don't forget to review :) –AddictedToBooks08**


	5. Chapter 5

**Um, in one of the reviews someone pointed out to me I've apparently been spelling Zach's name like Zac, and I…don't…know why I thought that's how you spell it but…I just want you to know that from now on I will spell it correctly :) Oh, and everything in italics at the beginning are passages from ****Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover**** and ****Only the Good Spy Young****. So if you haven't read them, THEY WILL SPOIL THINGS FOR YOU!**

**Chapter 5**

**Cammie's POV**

_"You don't get it, do you?" Zach twisted me somehow so that our faces were inches away from each other in the black. "This is dangerous, Cammie," he said, not Gallagher Girl. "This is-"_

_"Yeah. I kinda figured that out the day I woke up with a concussion."_

_"Don't make light of this."_

_"What about 'concussion' is synonymous with 'making light'?"_

_"You shouldn't be here," he said again slowly, like I wasn't bright enough to keep up._

_"_You're _here," I snapped back._

_"Listen, this is no place for…"_

_"A girl?"_

_…_

"_A student?" I tried again. "What Zach? Tell me what you are that I'm not."_

_And then the cockiest boy I'd ever known looked at me and whispered, "I'm someone who doesn't have anything to lose."_

…

"_I heard someone's playing hooky," Zach told me._

_"There's a boy in my life," I told him. "He's a very bad influence."_

_Then Zach nodded. "Bad boys have a way of doing that. But they're worth it."_

_The ballroom was hot and crowded. I felt almost dizzy as Zach leaned close to me and whispered," Can I talk to you?"_

_So I let Zach lead me out a side door and onto a street that had somehow become an alley, thanks to Secret Service perimeters and D.C. blockades._

_I shivered and wrapped my arms around my chest and wished I'd brought a winter coat. Zach was taking his jacket off and draping it around my shoulders. It was warm and smelled like him._

_That was the moment everything was supposed to be perfect._

_After all, really cute boy? Check. Dramatic, romantic setting? Check. Close proximity without parental supervision? Double check._

_But nothing about Zach is a regular boy, just like nothing about me is a regular girl, so instead, I looked at him and asked," Why were you in Boston?"_

_Zach stepped back. He shook his head and looked down at the ground as he muttered," There are things I can't tell you, Gallagher Girl."_

_"Can't?" I asked. "Or won't?"_

_But he didn't answer. He just looked at me as if to say, _What's the difference?

_"Tell me," I whispered, trying not to think about the fact that Zach wasn't chasing me anymore. Instead, he was staring down at me, and for the first time, I realized that he'd grown, that he was taller and stronger and not at all the boy who had kissed me last spring._

_"There are some things you don't want to know."_

…

"_Get her out of here!" Mr. Solomon appeared as if from nowhere._

_"Now!" My mother's voice echoed on the wind._

_A hand grabbed my arm again, but this time I lashed out with more rage than I had ever felt, climbing to my knees, spinning, kicking, yelling," Get…"_

_It was the eyes that made me stop. And the hands that were suddenly held toward me. And the words," _Gallagher Girl_."_

_Zach's hand found mine again and he pulled me to my feet as my head swam and my throat burned and the world went on crumbling all around me._

_"Run," he said, dragging me back the way we'd come. Away from the van. Away from the fight. Away from the gunshot._

_In the distance a siren wailed. Someone yelled," Untied Stated Secret Service!" And forty feet away my aunt lay on the ground. Not Moving._

_"Abby," I whispered, but Zach didn't let me pull away._

_I heard the van come to life behind us. Secret Service agents yelled. More shots rang out, and yet I felt Zach stop. I ran into his shoulder, too busy looking behind me to see the man who stood between us and the door._

_I saw the gun. I sensed the van as it rushed forward, seconds away and coming faster. I heard the screams of the fight behind us. But nothing that night was louder than the masked man's astonished whisper as he looked at the boy who stood next to me and said," You?"_

_Maybe it was the sirens or the Secret Service, but the man ran instead of fought. He fled into darkness while my mother cried my name._

…

"_What are you doing here, Zach?" Macey asked, but Zach only shook his head. He looked down at the ground._

_"It's complicated."_

_"So un-complicate it." Even as I said the words, I knew I might regret them, because maybe Zach was bait and I was walking into a trap._

_"You're with him," I said._

_"Technically he's on an errand halfway around the world right now," Zach tried to joke, but my mind raced on._

_"Liz and Macey told me that just because you go to Blackthorne doesn't mean…" My voice caught. "But you really are with him."_

_"Gallagher Girl, listen to me."_

_"So…what happened, Zach? Did the Circle recruit you too?"_

_He looked at me for a long time before he lowered his head and whispered," Not exactly."_

_"What are you doing here, Zach?" I asked, my throat suddenly too dry._

_"He asked me to get a message to you."_

_"So _send_ me a message! What was so important that I had to risk my friends' safety to sneak out here?" I demanded. "Huh? What was so-"_

_"I had to _see_ you." He closed the space between us. His hands were warm from his pockets as they closed around my fingers. "I had to know that you were okay. I had to see you and touch you and…know."_

_He brushed my hair away from my face, his fingers light against my skin. "In London…" He trailed off. "After D.C. …"_

_"I'm fine," I said, easing away. "CAT scans and X-rays were normal. No lasting damage."_

_Most people believe me when I lie. But the boy in front of me was a trained operative, so Zach knew better. And besides, Zach knew me._

_"Really?" He touched my face again. "'Cause I'm not."_

…

_I heard footsteps behind me, hard and fast._

_"Zach," I called to the boy who was running toward me._

_"Where is he?" Zach yelled, out of breath. I lunged forward and grabbed him. "Let me go, Gallagher Girl. I have to-"_

_"Do you want them to take you too?" I shouted, shaking him. When he stopped fighting I held him tighter. "They have him, Zach." I heard my mother's words coming back to me. "He's gone."_

_I remembered how, once on a helicopter en route to Ohio, Mr. Solomon had told us that often the hardest thing an operative can do is nothing. Standing there that day, I knew that it was true- that Joe Solomon was always right._

_"Stupid!" Zach yelled. He banged his hand hard against the trunk of a tree. He turned to me. "What happened?"_

_"CoveOps exercise. I tailed a man here. And then Mr. Solomon was there, talking about the Circle, saying I was in danger. And then there was a woman. I thought she was the woman from Boston."_

_"That wasn't her, Cammie."_

_"I know that now."_

_He grasped my shoulders. I could see a kind of fear settle into his eyes as he whispered," There's no way Joe Solomon would ever be with _her_."_

_The roller coaster roared overhead, and I felt the ground vibrate beneath my feet._

"_Why would he come here?" I asked. "It was a trap. Joe Solomon walked into a trap."_

_"You." Zach sounded almost amazed that I didn't know. "If he thought you were going to be here-virtually unprotected…There's nowhere he wouldn't go to save you."_

_"Why would he do that?" I snapped, trying to pull away, but he just held me tighter. "That doesn't make any-"_

_"It's in the journal, Cammie." Zach's gaze bore into mine. "It's all in the journal."_

_I could hear my classmates' voices in my ear. I knew they had crossed the fence and were running closer, but Zach's gaze never left mine._

_"Look at me." Zach's hands felt like a vise. "Read the journal, Gallagher Girl. Read it all."_

_And then he pulled me closer, squeezed me so tightly that I could barely breathe. He pressed his lips hard against my forehead for a split second-nothing more- and when he finally let me go and disappeared into the trees, I thought that I might fall._

…

_Zach was so focused on Mr. Solomon that he didn't see when one of the men on the ground pulled out a gun and took aim at Zach's back._

_"No!" someone screamed, and only when the men stopped did I realize that it hadn't been me. There was only one person with the power to save Zach, and she was turning from me and starting toward her son._

_I watched as Zach's mother slammed into the gunman-heard the weapon clatter across the floor. Even without turning, I knew that no one was behind me then-that there was absolutely nothing between me and one of the tunnels that spiraled off the main floor. And yet I couldn't move._

_Everything seemed to freeze for that one second, as Zach picked up the gun and yelled," Now! Run!"_

_But I couldn't leave him, couldn't run, couldn't do anything but shout "No!" as Zach took aim at the metal box marked _WARNING EXPLOSIVES, _and mouthed the word," Good-bye."_

…

_His face was still covered with soot and ash; his clothes singed. There were bandages on his right arm, and yet everything about Zach was perfect. He had come through it all unscathed. Alive._

_My mom pushed me toward him, but he didn't take my hand. We didn't hug or kiss. The fire somehow was still between us, and neither of us moved toward the other, afraid we might get burned._

"_Here. You should have this." I held out the journal. "When he wakes up…"_

_He reached for the journal. His fingers brushed mine. There were a million things to say, or maybe more, but the feeling of his skin was enough in that brief moment. We were warm. We were alive._

…

_Zach found me with the pigeons._

_Someone must have erased the boards, because Mr. Solomon's code was gone, and I was alone, looking out across the countryside, staring across the grounds._

_I didn't turn when I heard him. I just said," He should be awake by now, shouldn't he? He's never going to wake up."_

_"Of course he is."_

_'This is never going to be over."_

_"Of course it is."_

_"This is-"_

_"Cammie, listen to me. Don't talk-listen." There was fear in his eyes. "This isn't going to stop on its own. It's not going away. We can't stay here- we can't _hide_ forever."_

_"She's your mother?" I asked the question that had been burning inside of me for weeks._

_"I'm sorry, Cam. I-"_

_"You could have told me."_

_"No." He shook his head. "I couldn't. I couldn't lose the one person who didn't see _her_ when they looked at me. I couldn't lose that."_

_"Is my father alive, Zach?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"She said he is."_

_Zach studied me. "She lies."_

_"We should be dead," I said after what felt like forever._

_"I know."_

_He stood beside me, inches away. And yet we didn't touch. A charge coursed between us like a wire, a spark. We had already seen our share of fire._

_"Mr. Solomon isn't waking up," I said._

_"We don't know that."_

_"Why does everyone get hurt but me?"_

_"And me," he said. He tried to laugh but faltered._

_"I can't go to Nebraska this summer. It's not safe for Grandma and Grandpa to be near me." I ran my hand against the cold stone of the ledge. It crept dangerously close to his, and I whispered," I'm not safe."_

_"Where will you go?" He eased closer._

"_I don't know."_

_"What will you do?"_

_I shook my head, found that his shoulder was so close I wanted to rest there, but I didn't dare. "I don't know."_

_And then his arms were around me. When he kissed me it was hungrier somehow, as if this moment was all we had, and we had to taste it, drink it, savor it, and not waste a single drop._

_"Run away with me." Zach's breath was heavy and warm against my face. I didn't hear the words. I only knew that the kiss was real-the kiss was safe._

_I kissed him again._

_"Gallagher Girl," he said, pulling back, holding my face in both of his hands," we can go. We can run. We can get off the grid and stay off the grid until it's safe. For everyone." His eyes were inches from mine as he whispered," We can keep each other safe."_

_"What are you saying, Zach?" I tried to push him away._

_"We're the only two people in the world that the Circle _will_ think twice about killing."_

_"That's not funny."_

_"I'm not laughing." He held me closer. "You're right-no one's safe with us around. Listen to me, Cammie, we could to this. We've training our whole lives to do this."_

_"I can't." I shook off the thought before it could take root somewhere inside of me. "No. No. My mother-"_

_"Would understand," Zach snapped. "I'm surprised she hasn't had the same idea." His hands found mine again. "If no one knows where we are, then no one can find us."_

_Tactically speaking, Zach was right. And yet I couldn't stop looking at him like he was crazy as he said, "We. Can. Do. This."_

_I felt his hands and knew they were still warm, blood was still flowing through him, he was still breathing-we both were._

_We should have been dead._

_Remember what I said about hope? About lies? If Zach had been talking crazy, it would have been easy to discount it, to turn and walk away._

_But the truth…the truth-even when it comes in tiny kernels-isn't so easy to discard, so I stood with him, staring out at the morning light, trying to decide what pieces I should try to carry._

_"I can't leave with you, Zach." I kissed him lightly._

_He pulled me gently toward him, held me close and said," I know."_

…

"_I thought you were gone; the whole time between after you shot the explosives, and then reappeared…I thought you were gone."_

_He could tell how distressed I was and brought me into a tight hug, he sounded so sincere," I'm sorry Cam, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do that to you- I don't __ever__ want to do that to you. But then at least you can understand why I don't want to lose you either."_

_I pulled back because I wanted to watch his face when I said what I was about to. I didn't say it meanly, just sad," Why, Zach?...I thought you had 'nothing to lose'?"_

_I bet he didn't think I'd remember him saying that, but he looked hurt to know that I did, and that I had kind of used it against him._

_He whispered so softly," Maybe I was wrong; maybe I lied."_

…

"_Cammie…Cammie…_Cammie!"

My eyes abruptly sprung open, piercing bright light burned them, and they quickly closed and reopened again, and blinked a couple of times. I looked around for any danger, but all I could find was Zach leaning over me.

"Time to go Gallagher Girl," he said, no hint of a smirk, no smile, nothing but an empty face with a miserable voice. With that he walked away into the bathroom.

Feeling offended by his detachment from his normal self, but not having the time or energy to deal with it, I sleepily got up and finished preparing for the most dangerous and probably most important mission yet.

**So this chapter was a little different…not as much-well nothing actually-really happened…but it might make more sense after the next couple of chapters…for now, I just thought it was necessary for what I think I'm gonna do next. –AddictedToBooks08**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's Chapter 6; I've been working on it all day-well since noon, to make sure I get it right. Hope you like it :)**

**Chapter 6**

**Cammie's POV**

Nothing but silence as Zach and I put our bullet proof vests on, packed up and shipped out, barely glancing at each other every now and then. The few times I looked at him, he looked the same, his face a complete mask. Maybe he was just focusing, preparing himself for what we were going to do, but to me, it just felt like he was mad, or upset. Had what I said really affected him this much? I mean, I had meant to kind of throw him off guard, but I didn't want to hurt him. Then again, we wouldn't be in this mess if that boy could just say what he means without trying to sound all mysterious.

That's possibility one; possibility two is that his mood has nothing to do with me and he's just being his normal, weird self…but I'm going to guess that I have something to do with it.

Except, I'm not going to do anything about it; I'm tired of trying to always figure him out and deciding how he feels about me. If I mean something to him, he can fix this mess and just say it. Clearly. None of his mixed up signals. Straight forward.

"Ready?" Zach asked, not even looking at me.

"Since D.C." I said, keeping busy strapping my backpack so I didn't have to look at him either.

"Alright then, here we go," he popped open the window-which looked to be glued shut- and then disappeared into the blackness behind it.

I swiftly followed him, but when I had made it to the outside of the window sill, crouching, preparing to jump down, I found that a set of hands were waiting for me. They lightly grabbed me by my waist, and gently pulled me down to the ground.

"You know Zach, I think I can manage getting off a two foot ledge without hurting myself." Yes, I was a little annoyed that he was this overprotective at the moment.

"Sorry." he said, looking down at the ground.

"I need you to remember that I'm a spy, too; that I can take care of myself just as well as you can, but if you're always so focused on my safety…you'll end up being the one that gets hurt because you're not paying attention to you're own. That is something that can be avoided." I said, ducking down to _make_ him look at me.

Zach didn't say anything; he just kept looking at me, until," Come on, we should get going."

He started to walk towards the road but I ran in front of him. I know I said I was going to let him make the first move, but I couldn't take it anymore.

I gripped his shoulders tightly, holding him at arms length in front of me; my eyes were pleading him to just say whatever the matter with him is. "Zach! I can't go on the mission with you looking…_like this_ right now. You look distracted, so I'm distracted, and you know nothing goes well when we're all distracted."

The sun had just set before we snuck out, so now there was still a little light from the sun left on the distant horizon. The rest of the sky had faded to a beautiful royal blue, and you could already see the millions of stars that looked like sparkling fairy dust. What was left of the light illuminated Zach's face in the dimness that surrounded us. I could see him perfectly; the way is lips formed a hard line, the way his eyes just stared blankly at me.

"Zach…Zach?" _The silence is killing me!_ "Look if it's what I said last night…I'm sorry…I-I was just-"What was I 'just' trying to do again? Oh, I know; I was trying to throw some of his own medicine back at him while also trying to get a straight answer from him….so should I tell him the truth…or lie? Truth? Or lie?

How about neither?

"You know what? Fine; if you don't want to talk, then I won't either; I don't have to explain anything."

And with that I turned and started walking towards the road, not caring whether Zach was following me or not. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's acting like this; good ole' Zach to not tell you anything...alright Cam, focus. Mission time. I could feel my entire body switching over, becoming the spy I was trained to be, which right now was going to help me let go of the giant _Uhhh_ I felt about Zach right now.

I scanned my surroundings, noting that Zach was indeed following right behind me. According to him, we'd sneak along the side of the road for 1.5 miles north. There, we should find a very well hidden private drive, that is .5 miles long to the east, and when we reach the warehouse is the part where it gets hard: avoiding cameras, searching for security alarms, knocking out or dodging COC members, and actually finding something worth finding. We were equipped with grappling hooks, night vision goggles, Swiss knives, rope, guns and ammo, Liz's newest record breaking decoder, and a camera-to take pictures of whatever proof we find.

Once we got past the motel, there was more bushes and trees, and places to sneak through, so that we could try to remain unseen from drivers on the road. As we jogged through the brush, I could feel the change in Zach, like he had switched over too, becoming the _assassin_ he had been trained to be. Wow, it's still really weird thinking about that; how different Blackthorne is, compared to Gallagher; how different Zach and I were taught.

We covered the distance to the private drive in hardly any time. Luckily, I had Zach with me; otherwise I would have never found the private drive. After we thoroughly checked for cameras or alarms, we began swiftly jogging along the tree line of the path to the warehouse that was the Circle's base here.

Soon we could see the warehouse, which looked run down, unoccupied and abandoned for years, with rusting metal beams that probably used to support the roof but the roof must have fallen apart years ago-or was never there to begin with- and rotten wood doors that stood off their hinges; the perfect cover.

Zach said that this base was one of their lesser used ones, more for the purpose if any Circle members were passing through and needed to check in with headquarters, but a few members are permanently stationed here to run and protect it. That's why we figured this would be the best place to start: lesser used base, lesser amount of danger.

I could see a tiny camera placed up in the top right corner right under a ledge where the roof should have been.

"How do we get passed the cameras?" I whispered; there was no point trying to sneak in, if we'd just get caught by the cameras and then whoever was inside.

"There's a blind spot right under the camera."

"Well that's great, but how do we get under it?"

"If you draw a line from the corner where the camera is to the forest to the left of it is a shady spot where the camera has trouble seeing."

"But they can still see us, so they'll know someone's here; they just won't get the good news 'till they've caught us in person five minutes later." I said sarcastically.

"_Oh thank God! Zach's smirking,"_ I thought. I was getting a little worried.

"Some faith, please." His smirk just kept going and going and going. "Because it has such a problem with that area, at night, if you're completely concealed in black, the camera doesn't pick you up-as long as you don't move too fast."

This time I didn't make a comment about how we _weren't_ completely concealed in black: our heads and hands are completely uncovered, but I figured he already had a plan.

He raised an eyebrow and just kept smirking," Really? So you've decided I _do_ know what I'm talking about? Lucky for you, I do. That's why I brought this." He pulled off his backpack and pulled out what looked to be a very thin blanket. "I call it the invisibility cloak, because it allows us to remain unseen (invisible), without having to wear those awful masks that are stuffy and scratchy…and also because it looks like _the_ invisibility cloak…and it's a lot cooler than calling it a blanket." He nodded his head to follow him as he started to make his way over to the point in the forest we could leave it and not be seen.

"How do you know so much about this blind spot, and how to get past it?"

His face fell," When I was about ten, me and…my mom were staying in a base that had the same problem, but they didn't know about it. And one night, a CIA agent got through it, stole the info he wanted and then left. I wasn't supposed to be, but I was outside, walking around in the woods; I absolutely hated that place, and I didn't even know what it really was then. That man was so concerned about making sure no one was following him, he wasn't watching who was in front of him and ran into me.

"Even back then I was smart; I knew he was running for a reason. I also knew he had probably just successfully snuck in and out of that base; I realized that he was my way out too. He told me not to scream; I told him I wouldn't if he told me how he snuck past the camera."

I was hypnotized by his story," Did the guy…get away."

I had never seen Zach look so…haunted," Remember how I said I hated that place and I didn't even know what it was yet? Well I found out what it really was when my mother ran out the front door and shot that man that was running barely ten feet in front of me. I got to watch him die; watch his blood pour out of his forehead."

We had to make sure we walked around far enough away from the edge of the forest so that we weren't seen, but now we reached the point we would leave the forest.

But I completely forgot about the mission, instead, my face was filled with unbelievable shock," Zach…that's horrible."

He just distractedly shrugged his shoulders," She was just doing her job; she couldn't let him get away. She couldn't let me standing there stop her."

I couldn't help but just stare at him as he seemed to almost be defending her…or convincing himself that she wasn't _that_ horrible of mom-even though she was-is.

Awkwardly, I said," We should…probably-"

"Yeah, yeah." And just like himself, Zach had moved on in an instant and was now smirking," So, I hate to tell you Gallagher Girl, but you're going to have to get really, _really_ close to me."

I just rolled my eyes, and walked up to him so that our faces were centimeters apart.

He just smirked and continued," Wonderful. Now could you take off your pack and carry it at your side so you can control it better…plus the 'invisibility cloak' won't fit with them on."

I did what he said and held my pack securely at my side. He threw the "invisibility cloak" over us, making sure it completely covered us, head to toe.

"Here we go," his breathe was warm on my face; his voice didn't sound nervous, like I felt; he didn't seem unsure, like I did; he just seemed confident, which helped to remind me of who I was trained to be, and why we were here.

So together, we took a step out of the woods. The suspense from that first step felt…_awesome_. To be back doing what I was trained-what I _loved_ to do, felt awesome. It felt like I was back in CoveOps-my _real_ CoveOps class. The difference being now the danger is real, but that danger only made the adrenaline in my blood more heightened, more excited; it only made my heart beat faster.

Some people go out with friends to relieve stress, some party, some read, but I…spy, and this, _this_ is just what I needed. And the closer, and closer we got to the corner, the more I was forgetting about all my worries in the world. By the time we made it, I was in my happy place, ready to fight whatever was on the other side.

Very softly, Zach whispered in my ear," Take out the guns, and stay behind me," as he slipped around me so that he was now facing away from me, towards the front door.

I carefully squatted down and got out a gun for each of us. I have never used one, and it made me calm down slightly, realizing that I could now end up _killing_ someone when we walk in there. But it didn't scare me away; I had known that this day would come eventually, the moment when it was my life or theirs.

Zach turned his head and nodded; our signal for "Are you ready?" and I just nodded right back. And then, still under the "_invisibility cloak_", we moved towards the doors. Zach slipped his hand in a hand-sized opening that the ajar doors made. His other hand he twisted around to his back and counted down to the moment I was supposed to throw of the cloak as he threw open the doors.

_3…2…1…_

I threw aside the cloak, right as he had threw open the door and ran inside, gun raised in front of him. I closely followed behind him, my gun in the same ready-to-fire position. We were in…but the mission had only just begun.

**The next chapter might take me longer, because 1. It'll be Monday tomorrow which=school day, and 2. Intense-or any kind of action scene tends to be harder for me to write…so please be patient with me :) –AddictedToBooks08**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm glad I said this was rated T because this chapter is no doubt for violence. I hope you guys like it-or aren't like too grossed out by it. …I just hope it's good….**

**Chapter 7**

**Cammie's POV**

Zach would cover left, and I would cover right. We scanned the ceiling for cameras, but there were none; we scanned the room for Circle members, but there were none. Well, none in the part we could see because the COC had been smart and set up these fifteen feet boards to divide up this giant space into rooms.

We looked at each other for an instant and then proceeded towards the make shift hallway. We applied the same strategy here: he takes left, I take right. We made it to the first place that a door would have been, that opened up into a room. I hid in the entry ways' shadows, waiting until Zach gave the signal for each of us to proceed into our designated room.

He mouthed," _3…2…1…"_

On 1, we both twisted into the room.

I went in preparing to fight, but found that it was empty, except for a desk in the corner with an old white computer on it. The computer was safe here because they had put a make shift roof out of a board by placing it flat on the top of the others. It was clear though, that no one was in here, so I crept towards Zach's, but making sure the hallway was clear first. We ended up just meeting in the middle though.

Without speaking a word, I gave him the signal that I had found what could be a helpful source (the computer), and motioned for him to follow me. We had pre-decided that whoever finds the "source" looks through while the other watches their back. In case more people come than one person could handle, the "researcher" would D.E.A.S. (Drop Everything And Shoot).

I ran to the computer and practically punched the button that turned on the computer, and impatiently tapped my foot on the floor. (Sneaking around I could handle, but _waiting_ for something I couldn't control was totally not my niche.) Unfortunately, I had to stop tapping my foot because the noise could give us away. So instead, I started bobbing my head. (Did I already mention how patience is not one of my virtues? In case you can't tell…)

I gave a soft sigh of relief when the computer finally showed us the login screen, and I was able to _do something_, and get Liz's decoder out. Don't ask me how it exactly works; I'm not on the Research and Development track, I don't know how that stuff works. All I can tell you is that you plug it into the USB drive and it decodes the password. There. That's how it works.

Ten seconds later, I was into the main database. Okay, so keep in mind that I have no idea what I'm exactly looking for. So first thing I think to do is scan through the computer's recent history in case some COC idiot forgot to erase it-hey, it's happened before... nothing.

So then I go through Documents…again, nothing. And by now, because I'm more good at the spying, grabbing, and then going part, I'm completely out of ideas, so I just sit there glaring at the screen hoping that maybe if I do it long enough the computer will get scared and just _give me_ the information…yeah, yeah, I know: not a good plan.

Luckily, Zach noticed my frustration and lightly _kicked_ me out of the chair, and his hands started flying on the key board as I just looked at him astounded. All of a sudden he stopped, and turned towards me; giving me this look like, "_Watch the door!"_

In response I turned around and watched the door for any approaching people; I could hear his fingers go back to typing. You'd think this job would be more boring, but I'd have to disagree; this was _wayyy_ better.

After about 1.5 minutes, I heard the typing stop and Zach swear under his breath.

"There's nothing on here." Zach got up from the computer and proceeded to take the lead out of the room.

We followed the same process for the next two rooms on each side, but none of the four rooms came up to hold anyone, or anything important. We're nearing the end, and I find it a little suspicious that we hadn't seen _one_ COC member. However, it's very possible that they could all be behind the doors of the last three make shift rooms. That's right; these had _doors_. I'd say we found the important rooms, don't you think?

Zach gave our pre-planned signal for clearing a room together; I gave a nod to let him know I followed.

_3…2…1…_

Somehow, he managed to quietly throw open the door and catch who was in there by surprise and start attacking the people who were in there. Why didn't he just shoot them, well because then we'd let everyone else in the entire building know we were there. By the time, I got in there and found a target, there was only two guys left with three lying unconscious on the floor. And when I say unconscious, I mean likely out for a week.

You can probably guess-and you'd be right-that we took down the last two pretty quick. This room was the surveillance room, with about ten different TVs that showed the cameras' live footage. The camera with the blind side that was our way in clearly showed the front doors, so how had they not seen us barge through? Did we really happen to get lucky? Oh well, it's not like I have the time-or frankly want to- sit there and contemplate it for hours.

This time, Zach watched the door as I roughly tied up the five Circle members we had taken down. Time for Room #2.

With his hand on the door knob, Zach counted down, _3…2…1…_

In he quietly went, knocking out one person before they even knew Zach was in there. This time, I got in there quicker and got to knock a couple more heads together, which, I have to say, felt _goood._

We tied up the eight men who were in there, and then preceded to the last door since Room #2 had only been a kitchen/eating area. This last room was going to be the biggest since it was right in the middle-not on the left of the hallway and not on the right. I have to admit, this room intimidated me; I knew there was probably twice as many people in this room than the others, and it was probably the room that was the most valuable to us. But I just took a deep breathe and looked straight at Zach.

He mouthed the words," You okay?"

I nodded, with confidence in my eyes.

_3…2…1…_

Even though he went in just as quiet as before, just as slyly, it didn't give him a very large advantage this time because, seconds after he went in, I heard the first gunshot today…

And then another…

And then another.

And then…I realized I'm supposed to be in there.

Just like how I first entered the building, gun raised in front of me, I twisted into that room, prepared to _shoot_.

Now I really knew how different Zach and I were trained. Zach had been in that room for approximately 7.9 seconds and had already taken down five people. And even though they looked to be defenseless doesn't mean they were just going down without a fight. A woman had must have caught him off guard and was in hand to hand combat with him now, while she held up Zach's hand with the gun so it wasn't pointing at her. Meanwhile another woman was sneaking up behind Zach and was getting ready to take the gun…_Bang._

My first reaction to killing someone: complete horror. And then quickly, shock. And then pretty soon after that, well, after that I didn't have time to think, because now the COC people were also starting to come after me. They're smart too, they rush at you because they know that yes you can shoot them, but you can't shoot _all_ of them. They ran towards me, with evil sneers on their faces (I'm guessing they know who I am). But, I was ready for them.

After I got all that I could, and the ones that I didn't were practically on top of me, I roundhouse kicked one guy in the jaw, sending him flying in a minor daze for the next couple of minutes. I swung my left fist (the one that wasn't holding a gun) at the person who would have been standing to right of the man I roundhouse kicked if he had still been standing there, aiming for their gut. Then, I swung the butt of the gun against the side of their skull as I heard a loud crack and blood rapidly start to flow out of the wound. What I didn't notice was, was that one man was trying to sneak past me on the right towards the door, as I faced off with another man and a woman. However, Zach noticed what I didn't.

"Cam, don't let them leave this room. They'll head for their weapons stash."

I can very well understand why that would not be a good thing, so I swiftly turned around to face the guy who was slyly sneaking around me, punched him in the nose and kicked him in the gut. If that wasn't enough, with two hands, I swung the gun right into the pressure point in his neck, and he dropped like a fly.

However, he momentarily distracted me from the other two, and so now, the man threw himself around me in an effort to tackle me as the woman ran out the door. I didn't care what happened to me now, _that woman was not going to make it to where ever she was going._ So as my knees are slowly giving in, I aim the gun right at her and shoot. Unfortunately, the guy knocks my hand, so instead of hitting her in the back it lodges in the woman's leg. As she cries out in pain, but keeps hopping along, I shoot another this time, this one hitting its target.

I'm guessing the man who was still trying to tackle me and the woman I had just killed knew each other, because now he seemed to be in a rage. With his arms still around me, he clasps his fist together and kept striking me in the stomach. And then suddenly, his weight was off me, being replaced by a hard kick to my lower back.

I went flying into the door, and then fell crumpled towards the ground. But the kicking didn't stop; he just kept going and going, but I was stuck in a position where the gun was wedged between my body and the floor, leaving me to this guy's mercy.

Besides jumping off a cliff, that was probably the worst pain I'd ever known; so bad, that I cried out.

"Cammie!" Zach hastily knocked his two opponents out of his way as he ran towards me.

I'm not exactly sure how many times I heard Zach shoot his gun; I just know that it was a lot, right in a row.

The Circle guy dropped like lead, gallons of blood pouring out his back; I'd never seen anything so gory this close and personal. With all the kicking my stomach had withheld, I don't know if it can handle this right now too. The world was starting to flip flop; my eyes were starting to flutter, and then… the room stopped moving, my eyes didn't fade: Zach was there crouched down next to me.

"Cammie?" he whispered, worried, fear in his eyes. "Cammie, can you hear me?"

I nodded because I'd rather save my talking strength for whatever fighting strength I still needed.

"Can you move?"

Instead of responding, I slowly started to creep off the floor. The ground was a little shaky underneath my feet at first, but it eventually leveled out and I knew I could make it for however long I _needed to_ but no more.

"Can you start searching through the file cabinets over there?" he pointed with his eyes towards the far right hand corner of the room that was completely concealed in file cabinets. "This is one of the less modern bases cause it's so small, so all the important stuff is still kept on file all the time." Now I knew why Zach especially wanted to come here: all the information was right at the ready for our taking.

I nodded and then started to jog to the cabinets right as I saw in the corner of my eye that one of Zach's opponents he had thrown to the side to come rescue me was sneaking up behind him and he didn't know. All my brain could process quick enough was a look of pure fear, but I should have known better because it is Zach we're talking about so _of course_ he knew she was there.

He swung around, kicking her right about where her kidney would be; she was sent backward with a hard land head first onto the hard floor. There was a loud crack when her head made contact, and blood started to spill out of her ears, nose, and mouth.

Luckily, I didn't have the chance this time to really stare at the blood, because I had a mission. Raid through just about a million files in oh-we probably only had about five minutes before we needed to get out of there. Don't ask me what my method was, because I couldn't tell you. I just started at the first drawer, farthest back file and started scanning through it. When I was done with that file and it was worth no value to us, I just- literally- threw it to the side.

This no-method method actually worked pretty well because I was going through them pretty quickly, while Zach was still trying to take down the last two people standing. (Don't ask me why he didn't just shoot them, because I'd tell you he doesn't seem to have his gun. And so, then you'd ask me: Well where is it? And I'd have to tell you I have no idea what he did with it.) I had gotten about half way through the cabinets when I found something that was marked with a date that would be of interest to me…_ November 17, 2000- _the day my dad went missing.

I didn't scan this report; I read it thoroughly. With the files still all being paper copies, the COC would be smart enough to know to not put a great amount of detail in any one, but that doesn't mean it didn't have _anything_ useful:

**November 17, 2000:**

**Circle members stationed at the base in Volos, Greece reported that they successfully captured Operative Christopher Morgan who had reportedly been on the COC's tail for years. They transported him to one of the main headquarters, in Paris. The lead interrogators there then brutally interrogated him for any information he knew about them and a deep, dark secret he knew about the CIA. After so many days of this, the interrogators said that the suspect in question seemed to go insane. They did not say what they did with him after they came to this conclusion.**

**However, they did report that there is one person who Operative Morgan may have left clues to the information he knew, and that would be his daughter, Cameron Ann Morgan. The leaders of the Paris headquarters stated that she would be the entire COC's top priority when she was old enough to know where the aforementioned information may be hidden.**

**Sincerely,**

**Bancroft, ID Base Secretary**

I read that message several times, because by the third time I tried to go through it, tears had already started to flow hurriedly from my eyes, making it harder to actually see. I finally understood it by the tenth time but kept reading it because my brain just didn't want to process it. And by the fifteenth time, I knew that no number of times reading it would ever let the words sink in. And so, I just stood there staring at the wall of file cabinets, holding the paper loosely on top of my hands, tears spilling from my eyes.

"Cammie," Zach called, sounding out of breath.

I barely turned around to see that he had just finished off the last of the last two and was now slowly coming towards me. He looked more worried than I have ever, and I'm pretty sure _will ever_ see him.

"What's wr-"

What happened next happened so quick, it was like blinking and you missed it happen.

Zach didn't ever get the chance to finish that sentence, because out of no where, a gunshot rang through the warehouse, and then three more, each sending a jolt through Zach's body.

"Zach!" I barely heard the blood curling screech that tore through me, ripping out anything happy left in me. I ran towards him with more speed than I knew I had in me, and as I passed the open doorway where I knew the shot had come from I fired my gun with one hand about five times- whether they _all_ hit their target or not I don't know, but I had successfully killed the man that I know absolutely hated. With my other arm, I caught Zach as he slowly fell to the ground. All I really did though was slow his fall until I could wrap my other arm around him and stop it, so I could slowly lower him to the ground.

Bullet 1 and 2 were lodged deep in his bulletproof vest, with nothing but the holes showing; one over his right ribs, the other over his heart.

_Thank God for these vests! _I silently cried.

But Zach was still fading, and the reason was Bullet 3 and 4 had hit right by the major arteries in his leg and arm: he would bleed out if I didn't get him help soon. He would _die_, if I didn't get him help.

"Cammie…Cam…I'm okay, it's okay," he kept muttering, like he had been given a strong anesthetic.

"I'm here Zach, I'm here. Don't worry I'll get you out of here, just hang on. I'm here." I just get murmuring things to him as I took out the tiny first aid kit we had and started to wrap gauze around his arm and leg. It was cheap stuff though and not enough to last more than two minutes. But it would be better than nothing, and I didn't have time to do anything else to the wounds; I had to get him out there.

He was still slightly holding on, his eyes kept fluttering open and close.

"Zach, listen to me, okay?" I was sniffling back the tears, trying to stop my voice from shaking. "I'm going to lift you up onto you're feet, and with whatever strength you can manage, I need you to limp with your good foot."

"Okay, Cam, on 3," for some reason, he picked this moment to try and smirk, and my heart shattered when he faltered, the attempted smirk being replaced by a cringe of pain. "1…2…3."

With my right arm securely wrapped under both his shoulders, I lifted him and myself up with pretty much all the strength I had left in me. But we got up nonetheless. The problem was now I'd have to walk and maintain most of his weight for about 2 miles 'till we got to the motel. At least right now though, Zach was acting strong and holding about half of his weight on his good foot.

With my gun still gripped in my left hand, and the sheet of paper we had risked everything for, crumpled in my right, together we began limping through the hallway towards the front door. Once we got about 5 yards away, I could see water had started to flow in from outside and I guessed it was probably raining- the hallway and entryway were also covered like the rooms but now that I was listening I did hear _ping-ping-ping-ping_ on the ceiling. To answer me, the power that had been generating what few lights this place had went out, and lightning illuminated the building through the cracks in the walls, echoed by a loud bang of thunder.

To hopefully save the evidence that we came here for, and so that I could still support Zach, I used my left hand to take the paper out of my right and stuff it into my pant pocket.

"Are you ready to go into the rain?" I asked; he really didn't have a choice, but having him make noise every once and awhile might keep him awake longer.

I was wrong, because he didn't answer. I twisted my head as much as I could to look over at him to find his head had fallen forward and his eyes were closed. The only sign he was still alive, still breathing was the faint rise and fall of his chest.

So with more weight then I knew was possible for me to carry with what was probably four broken ribs and something punctured, I slowly edged forward, gaining more and more momentum the more I walked.

I was out into the down pour of rain, by the second we were both getting more and more drenched. My hair was already sticking to my head; my clothes were already glued to my body. All there was left for me to do was keep walking.

What had taken Zach and me minutes before to run, now would take me possibly hours. Maybe if I could just make it to the road, we could try and get someone to pull over and take us to the nearest hospital. That's what I hoped for; that's what I planned to do. I knew that I didn't have the strength to make it to the motel.

_How could we be so stupid?_ I cried exasperatedly in my head. How could we have done this without setting up an emergency get away? And, of course, now we would pay for it. Now, I might lose Zach. One of, if not the only, guy left in my life that I loved.

_I loved him._ As much as he confused me, as much as his smirk drove me crazy, as much as his mom was, well, his mom, I loved Zachary Goode.

But how would he ever know now if he never wakes up; how would I ever know if he really cared about me at all if he never wakes up? Why couldn't he just have said what he was thinking this morning and last night and _tell me_? Why couldn't I have been less of a stubborn brat and just opened up and told _him_ how I felt?

With nothing to do, but listen to my thoughts, a million questions raced around inside, questions that wouldn't get answers unless Zach woke up.

_God, please let him wake up!_

My salty tears mixed with the rain water that poured down on my face. I could feel my body starting to get more and more exhausted. But I had to at least make it out of the woods, where someone could find us, where someone, _anyone_, could help us. Yes, I'd even be okay if someone from the COC found us because maybe they'd help Zach. Yes it was a long shot, but it was better than no chance of help at all.

So I kept going, one foot in front of another, but my pace was slowing greatly; my entire abdomen was on fire, my head raged from my injuries and from so much heavy activity while being injured. But I could see an opening in the trees ahead; one that light would shine through, get brighter and brighter and then fade away: headlights.

I could make it 'till there. And I did, because the second we stepped out of the trees into the open ditch that was about twenty feet south from where the private drive was, I collapsed, but I made sure that when we fell down I would get all the weight and that Zach's injured arm and leg wouldn't get landed on.

I was so tired-but that doesn't even begin to describe the exhaustion I felt; every part of me felt immobile, paralyzed, dead. Yet my mind was never more awake. Filled with so many thoughts- none of which were happy, none of which had anything to do with anything but Zach.

Then suddenly off to side in the forest, close to where the private drive should be, about twenty five feet back I could barely make out a white car headlight that kept hovering around in sweeps like it was searching for something. And then I realized it wasn't a car; it was a helicopter. And whoever it was, I bet were looking for us.

The search light moved closer and closer towards the road, towards _us_. Until, _finally_, it remained hovered over us. Approximately one minute later, I heard a woman shouting into a microphone," Hold on Cam, Rachel's minutes away." Aunt Abby.

Just like she said, exactly 3.5 minutes later, I heard sirens of a police car and could see blue and red flashing lights on the trees as it was rapidly approaching us. Seconds later, I could also hear an ambulance's siren as it followed the cop car.

My mind was starting to drift farther and farther away from this world, but faintly I heard the cop car screech to halt. Before it even came to a complete stop, I barely made out the sound of the door being opened and then slammed shut. There was running on pavement, then running on grass, but it was getting harder and harder to hear the more the rain picked up.

Until I didn't need to hear anymore, until my mom was bent down beside me, leaning over my face, wiping the hair out of my eyes, and kissed every inch of skin on my face, and I was really happy to know she'd found me.

And I was really happy to know: I didn't need to hold on anymore; I didn't need to keep walking. I had gotten Zach to place where we could be found so that he'd get help. And don't know how, but my mother had found me, and now, hopefully, Zach wouldn't leave me, too.

_I love you, Zach, _was the last thought I had before I fell down into oblivion.

**That was the funnest chapter to write so far because of all the dramatic moments! I hope it was good, because I was determined to finish it today and get it out tonight. I'll post it tonight and then I'll try and edit it in the morning, if it has any grammical errors forgive me, but I'm too tired to edit it tonight, and too stubborn to not post it today. –AddictedToBooks08**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Cammie's POV**

I've never known such a calm that's settled over me; such a peacefulness that is more reviving than any amount of sleep could give me. Its soothing touch relieves the pain in my ribs, in my head, in my heart. It quiets the voices raging around in my mind, leaving me in a blissful nothingness, a deep sleep. But it's being interrupted by a face. _A familiar face._

I can't seem to put a finger on who it is, but their smile radiates joy, and it looks as if they're laughing. They seem to glow with happiness…. I wish I could be _that_ happy, that care free. But this person had a sun like quality, that just watching them, carried rays of sunshine to me, warming me on the inside.

And then I figured out who it was…_my dad._ He used to smile like that at me all the time, as he would pick me up and twirl me around, and hold me close to him, and dance with me, and-

I was his one and only girl, and I loved it.

_I loved him. _

I miss him. God, I miss him so much.

"Cammie,_"_ his voice sounded so sweet; he opened his arms and came towards me.

Before I knew what to do, he wrapped his arms around me and held me just like he used to, so gently, so protectively.

"My sweet baby girl," he whispered in my ear.

"Daddy," I can feel a tear, drop down my cheek.

"I love you, darling," he spoke so sweetly, so happily.

"I love you, too, Daddy."

He was pulling away, but I didn't want him to.

"Time for you to go Cam." He was still smiling.

"Dad…" I was going to try and argue with him, but I knew I'd lose. So instead I just stood there and tried not to cry.

"Oh, sweetheart," he gently smoothed away the hair that had fallen over my forehead, and then he tenderly kissed my head. I closed my eyes, remembering that this was how he'd always say goodbye before he left on a mission.

He whispered softly against my forehead," Time to wake up Cammie."

"I don't want to leave you!"

"We'll see each other again someday. Now, wake up, Cammie; wake up."

I reached out, trying to grab hold of him, but my arms closed around nothing; I opened my eyes, and he was gone. It was all gone, replaced by a hospital bed, bright lights, tile floors, and a hand gently holding mine.

My mom's head lay next to my side; her face relaxed, sleeping. Yet, she still managed to look worried. Wanting to comfort her, I ran my other hand gently through her mess of beautiful brown hair. Almost immediately, though, her head popped up, and she wiped away the sleep in her eyes with the hand that wasn't still clasping mine.

Relief flooded her eyes the second she saw that I was awake, and I just barely saw one, clear tear run down her cheek before she wiped that away too.

"Cammie!" My name came out in one, short, exasperated breath. She held my face in her hand, after having it gone for so many weeks now, but probably too afraid she'd hurt me if she did anything else. It made me wonder how really injured I was.

"Oh honey, they-the doctors-said you'd be fine, that you just had a couple of broken ribs, and were just over-exhausted. But…I didn't believe them…"

"I'm okay Mom," except my throat was dry and cracked four times. She passed me a glass of water, figuring that was the problem. It felt so good flowing down my throat and made me want more.

It took a total of five times of drinking and refilling for my mom to finally say, smiling for the first time," Okay, I think that's enough; you're going to have to go pee really bad soon, and it's not going to be fun."

I smiled. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Over two days."

We sat in silence for awhile, as greater concern was coming closer and closer to the surface, growing larger and larger, swelling, and pressing up against my mind. Until, I remembered. In a flash, I saw Zach's body jerk each time I heard a gunshot; I saw him fall; I saw his broken face as I limped, carrying him through the woods; I saw his face as he lay unconscious next to me in the ditch-practically-

I was panicking, you could hear it in the way I was breathing; see it in the look in my eyes.

"Zach?"

My mom didn't say a word, she looked at me one second with a look of discomfort and I just cried. The tears came out fast and heavy.

"Is he- is he…" I barely spluttered out, but I couldn't bring myself to say the word.

"Alive."

A little weight left the top of my chest, and I could breathe slightly better, but not by much.

"How-how-what…" I tried over and over to form actual questions, but my mind was too jumbled, too lost in a whirl pool of emotions.

So Mom answered me-in a rush…any question she could think that I'd have.

"He lost a lot of blood, even though the bullets didn't hit the arteries. We got him as quickly as we could to a hospital, and they were able to stop the bleeding and give him a transfusion. He was barely hanging on as it was though… He's not awake yet…the doctors said they've done all they can, but that he might never…that it's up to when he's ready to wake up now." When she finished, she pursed her lips, her eyes showed distress, like I might have an attack and just start drowning in my own grief and tears.

I didn't though; I was trained better than _that_. But I cried, I just didn't insanely, hysterically cry. And my mom was there, crawling up onto the hospital bed, wrapping her arm around my shoulders, holding me in her arms. She muttered things any mom would in situations like these, "_Sshh…I know honey…I know it hurts…sshh." _She did it until all the tears were gone, and whatever grief would leave me then, was gone. But I was still left with a high amount of anxiety and sorrow that would go away when Zach woke up…or never.

That's what I thought as I slowly drifted back into unconsciousness from the mix of tears and lack of strength.

It was dreamless this time, just an empty, deep sleep.

When I woke up again, my mom was still there, but she was back in the chair she had pulled up to my bed, reading. I blinked and stretched away the daze that had settled over me, and I could feel a change almost instantly. I felt more healed, stronger, and I knew what I wanted to do before anything else.

"Mom?" I carefully said her name because I knew she probably wasn't going to particularly like this idea so soon, but she would just have to deal.

"You want to see him don't you." She didn't even look up from her book, but a little smile crept onto her face that she had pinned me like a nail.

"Please," I pleaded.

"The doctors said you should remain bed-ridden for a couple of days after you wake up," something was up though because she had this evil look in her eyes," but what they know won't hurt them."

She got up from her chair and went to the corner of my hospital room where a wheelchair was parked and wheeled it over to me. Carefully, she lifted me out of the bed and into the chair. I realized that I was more soar than I thought when _I'm actually up doing things_. I tried to hide the best I could, the cringe that escaped when I was finally in the wheel chair.

But then it was forgotten, as my mom began to push me towards Zach's room. It wasn't too far; a couple of doors down from mine. I took it as a good sign that he wasn't in one of those rooms labeled Intensive Care, but then again, that meant nothing.

I should have expected it, but no one was in his room waiting for him; no one was sitting beside his bed, clutching his hand, letting him know that they were there for him, whether he knew it right now or not.

His right leg-the one that was shot- was propped up, and they had but his left arm in a sling. His face was emotionless, it wasn't pained, and it wasn't peaceful. It just looked like he was sleeping. I covered my mouth to muffle the cries that escaped my throat. The closer my mother pushed me, the less alive he looked.

Most of the time my spy senses come in handy, not now though. Now they were just a nightmare, screaming my fears at me. Because of them, I noticed how his skin had a yellowish tint, how his pulse was slow, unnaturally slow; when I took his hand, it wasn't his normal, fiery temperature; it had dulled to a kindling ember. But the thing with embers is, they just need someone to blow on them to bring them back to life.

So I held his hand even tighter, hoping that some of my heat would set a spark to his. Not looking away from his face, I told my mom," I want to stay here until he wakes up."

I could tell this made my mom uneasy because she hesitated. "Cam, I don't think-"

"He doesn't have anyone Mom. His…is…well, not going to be here anyways. He has no friends here, I don't even know about his dad…he doesn't have anyone- but me. And he needs someone to be here when he wakes up so he knows that _someone_ missed him when he was gone. And I'll wait however long it takes for me to do that."

"You always were as stubborn as your father."

I looked back at her and saw a haunted smile dance on her face, her brow wrinkle with memories. The hand I'm not tightly grasping Zach's with, I reach back to lightly rest it on hers, remembering the dream I just had about him. She was more upset than she wanted me to know though, and quickly turned away toward the door.

"I'm, um, going to go let the doctors know you're going to be in here…whether they like it or not." I knew she was trying hard not to cry since she quickly paused a few times to collect herself. Not to mention, she walked out of there pretty quick

I hardly ever saw my mom like this, and it killed me when I did because I knew she always acted strong, so it would take a lot for her to let me see. My heart sank to a new level, now trying to cope with the dream about my dad, my mom crying, and probably my biggest worry: Zach.

I meant it when I said I would sit there at his bed for however long it would take for him to wake up. So for the next few hours, I lightly traced patterns on his hand on face like the ones he had done on mine after I had gotten freaked out by the bugs. I talked to him sometimes; I've heard you can do that, and they say the person can hear you. I told what I had found out about my dad and why the COC was after me; I told him about the dream I had about my dad. And I told that I missed him so much, and that I _needed_ him to wake up.

The hours kept passing, and I kind of fell into this stupor. I vaguely remember noticing when nurses would come in to change his bandages and check how his machines were running or if he needed another IV, but I never pulled my attention away from his face, begging for his eyes to open. I also vaguely remember my mom coming back in some point hours later, but she left after awhile, realizing that I probably just needed to be alone with him.

Somehow, I made it up all the way to 1:00 am, but I knew I wouldn't make it much longer; the stress and worry, anxiety and grief were wearing away at an already broken body.

As my head glided closer and closer down to rest in an open space after his hand, I thought about how hard this might get if he went on for days like this, each one adding new harm to me. Would the doctors eventually _have _to wheel me out for my own health? And then I thought the worst: what if he died? What would I do?

Again, thoughts and questions were competing for room in my head but only ending up as screams to my brain, so I'm sure you can understand how I didn't notice the blink _as quickly_ as I should have. But you can be sure I was at full attention when the second one came around, and then a third. Each one sending a new shock of energy through me, bringing me farther and farther from sleep and closer to him.

As Zach tried to keep his eyes open, his hair had fallen into his face, and with the hand that wasn't still holding his, I gently brushed away his away, but leaving my hand there to feel slight warmth that had started to spread through him. It wasn't anything like normal, but it was a start compared to the coals, earlier. I breathed deeply to calm myself, but I let my smile grow wide in hope.

"Zach…I'm here, just like I said I would be; I'm here." Just like I had murmured things to him as I tried to patch up the wounds days ago, I did know, but this time, to bring him back to me.

I knew this was different from then, when a faint smirk crossed his face with no grimace following it. "I told you I was okay, Gallagher Girl."

I didn't care that seconds later, he drifted off again; I would survive until next time knowing that he had broken the coma, and that I had been there to let him know _someone_ cared about him.

So until the next time he wakes up, I can rest, and hopefully get a little bit better myself after causing it so much stress. And then, hopefully, after a little time of recovery, we'd _both_ be just fine again.

**Sorry it took so long, but I haven't really felt good or been that inspired, until tonight, but at least it's finished now :) **…**And some of you thought I'd kill him, Psh-how can you kill Zach? It's just not done. I'll try and update nine sooner. –AddictedToBooks08**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Cammie's POV**

After that night, I didn't see Zach much; most of the time he was asleep anyways, but the bigger reason was apparently when my mom and I agreed I could go sit by Zach until he woke up, also meant that when he woke up, I would have to go back to my room and stay there. I can't say I minded it too much; my body was really drained, and I needed sleep too. I was able to get a few visits out on bail to see him when he was awake though.

We didn't talk much during those visits, well, we did but nothing important. A lot of the time though, I just sat there next to him in my wheel chair and held his hand. As the days passed, the more life returned to Zach. His skin was back to its normal color, his warmth was almost back to its normal fire, when he smiled, it wasn't resigned, or withdrawn, and it didn't bring pain.

On my third day, I got visitors. It happened to be at the time I was visiting Zach when they barged through the door.

"Cameron Ann Morgan! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE WITHOUT US?"

Boy, am I glad I was in a wheelchair, because otherwise Bex Baxter would have killed me if I couldn't play the already-injured card. She had revenge in her eyes, along with a very offended looking Liz and a fuming Macey. I spared a look back at Zach who's just laying there smirking

"AND THEN YOU LET HIM COME ALONG!"

So that's what they're really angry about; Zach could come but they couldn't. I was going to tell them that I hadn't wanted him to come either but that he didn't really seem to care, but then I noticed how Bex's furious look was now directed towards Zach, along with Macey's. I swear in that moment, I could just hear Zach wishing he was dead, because that would be getting lucky compared to what they might do to him.

I accidentally let a smile go and immediately, the anger was turned back to me. They were creeping closer and closer; okay, so maybe I was wrong about the whole already-injured thing would stop them, because all three of them lunge at me at once.

…And nearly killed me from hugging so hard.

"We found your letter, and went looking for you everywhere, but no one could find you, _no one_-_anywhere_. And then, your mom told us yesterday that there had incident, and you were unconscious and Zach was in a coma…and…and-"they took turns, each telling a part as they clung to me.

"We're okay; we're okay now," I just kept telling them that over and over, like I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"But what if Liz's decoder didn't have a tracking device in it and we weren't able to find you when you used it? Huh, what would have happened then?"

The three of them were pulling away, and it was Macey who said that.

"Is that how you guys found us? The decoder has a tracking device that told _you_ where we were, and then you told _my mom_?"

"Liz _is_ genius, Cam." Macey smiled as she looked over at Liz who was being totally Liz-like with a tear running down her face.

"Nah, she's a _spy_ genius." I smiled at her, trying to cheer her up, but then I realized all three of them were pretty much like that.

For some reason, when I had planned to run away, I had never thought about afterwards, or how everyone would take it, or if I would have really upset them. And that I had seen that it did, I slightly regret not taking them-but only slightly. Not because I don't love them or don't trust them or anything, but for reasons already stated. Reasons that I had thought of to try and stop Zach from lying on a hospital bed in a coma-but oh wait, he didn't care about my reasons and tagged along anyways and now look where we are.

"You guys had to have known I would do this…?"

"Of course we did, we just didn't believe you would 'till you were gone…"

"And we thought maybe you'd at least take us with you…"

"No we didn't," Macey said interrupting them, "we knew you wouldn't take us, we knew that when Abby got shot, and then Mr. Solomon…and all that happened with him." They agreed with her too, as they just looked down, anywhere but at me.

Really quietly I asked, "How is he?"

"The same," which is code for not good.

We were all just quiet then, not knowing where to go next. After a little bit, I noticed Zach had drifted off to sleep at some point, so we walked down the hall to my room-well they walked and while I rolled. They had barely gotten me back into my hospital bed before my mom poked her head in," You girls can stay in Cammie's room, but you'll have to be quiet because the doctors say that she needs to get some sleep, otherwise you're free to go get some lunch in the cafeteria."

"Alright, but we'll stay-"

"No, you guys should go; go eat _real_ food, and do something besides sit here and wait for me to wake up-trust me, it's not fun." I said already feeling tired.

"Are you sure Cam?" Liz asked doubtfully.

"Absolutely." I said, settling down, and closing my eyes. I'm just going to say that I felt like a little girl again, taking naps at 2 in the afternoon, but there was nothing I could do; I needed sleep, therefore my body will go to sleep whether I agree with it or not.

I barely heard them shut the door before I was out.

By the fifth day, I could walk on my own, and was taking fewer naps. Zach was healing really well; no he wasn't ready to get up from his bed, but he was more awake. He was more alive... He was breathing. When, yet again, he shouldn't be-not that I'm complaining.

I got to see him more now too; I was practically in his room more than mine. _I_ didn't think I even needed a room anymore, that I'm perfectly back to normal but _precautions, precautions_…it was kind of useful though, because it meant that I could still be at the hospital every day visiting Zach.

Okay, so some of you might think that's a little obsessive, but I guess I'm just trying to assure myself that he'll actually be okay, that the nightmares of that night a week ago, and him lying there next to me, unconscious…that those are nothing more than nightmares, nothing more than ghosts of the past.

By the end of the week I could tell they were getting ready to release me though because I wasn't sleeping during the day anymore, I wasn't hooked up to anything, and my ribs were hardly soar anymore. Zach was doing better too: he could move around more easily now- the doctors think we'll be able to put him in a wheelchair in the next couple of days, and after I'm released and he's still doing okay, they say we can take him home and just keep him on bed rest there, instead of in a hospital.

The girls still stopped in a lot; mom didn't let them sleep at the hospital, but they visited me pretty much every other day since it was still summer break. Apparently none of them had anything cool to do over the summer but I know they're just lying to me; they probably had a list of cooler things they could be doing, but would rather be here with me. It made me feel bad yet again for what I did, but, not enough to make me regret going.

Speaking of which, I'd eventually have to stop procrastinating and ask my mom if she ever found that COC paper in my pant pocket; of course, she was making it kind of easy for me to do that, since she was gone somewhere half the time. I'm not mad at her or anything; I've always understood that her job is a huge reasonability that she has to live up to if she expects to continue to be Headmistress of Gallagher and one of the top agents of the CIA. It's nice when she _is_ there though.

One of the nights my mom was gone and after the doctor had done his nightly run by, I snuck out of my room to go see Zach. I didn't expect him to be awake or anything; I had just wanted to go in there with him instead of being alone. But I didn't expect to see a dim lamp lit next to his bed and him awake, just laying there staring off into space as I quietly walked in; it was kind of sad-very unlike Zach. Of course he went back to his usual self as his attention turned to me when I walked in, and he smirked.

"What did you miss me already?"

"Yeah, you and your egotistical self."

He pretended to be offended;" You'd think nearly dying would give me some slack but I guess not."

I knew he was joking, but it was all still too real: his arm and leg were still in casts and the scars where he'd gotten punched and kicked were still very much visible. He stopped joking the second he saw that I thought it wasn't funny anymore.

"Gallagher Girl…" he reached up to gently hold my face in his palm. "Come 'ere."

He carefully scooted himself over to the side of the bed opposite me-without managing to crack a frown- and then reached out and pulled me towards him. Not wanting to fight him, I gently laid down beside him. Apparently that wasn't enough though, because he took his right arm (the good one), wrapped it around my shoulders, and pulled me against him, so that there was no other comfortable solution but to lay my head on his chest with still plenty of romm for his left arm (the bad one) to lie there too.

"See? Would I be able to do this if I wasn't doing well?"

Ya' know what? Zach is just too darn Zach-ish sometimes… but I liked being here; being this close was the most assurance I could get, to know he was still with me. I gently placed my hand over his bad one. Slowly and carefully, he turned his arm so that he could hold my hand instead; and he only did it with one grimace.

Lying there, in his arms, was probably the most calm and relaxed I'd been in days. To have _his_ smell-the one he still managed to have even after almost dying then lying in a hospital bed for a week and a half- swirl around me, made my head spin. His touch felt normal again; the fire was back blazing inside him.

I felt him press his lips against my forehead, sending chills down my face. "You know I love you right?" he whispered; he didn't sound like he was joking or smirking…he sounded serious, like he really meant it.

I shifted my head around to gaze up at him and knew he was the most vulnerable that anyone had ever made him. I just smiled and nodded," I love you too."

He brought his head down to kiss me, and it felt like the one we shared a month ago when he asked me to runaway with him; amazing. I thought his hand in mine made me believe he was alive, but his kiss was like a heart beat to my consceince; that fire that burned through Zach was never more evident. The hand that had been holding his, moved up to rest on his face, where his skin was steaming; most people would assume he was running a fever, but this was normal for Zach. His bad arm that had been holding the hand that now rest on his face, just shifted to hold my elbow, and his good arm that was still wrapped around me held me even closer to him.

We finally broke the kiss because his heart monitor-thingy was starting to make these weird beeping noises and we didn't want any doctor or nurse to come rushing in. As soon as we stopped, though, it went back to normal, but for now, it had been enough for both of us.

I brought my head back down to rest on his shoulder, and I brought my hand down to lie over his heart. Stiffly, but smoothly, he moved his bad arm so that it almost made it to my hand but couldn't quite make it there, so it stopped in the middle of my arm, resting there. His arm that held me against him briefly disappeared and I was about to look where it could have gone but then the lamp shut off and it came back.

"Night Gallagher Girl," he said, sighing.

"Night, Blackthorne Boy." And with that I closed my eyes and fell into an immediate sleep, that was the best I'd had in, well, over a month- unless you count the time when I was unconscious-that one was pretty good too. Actually…I take that back…this one was better.

**Just in case I don't always say it after every chapter, I do like it when you review...but you don't have to :) I hoped you liked Chapter 9-and the rest for that matter. I'll try and get 10 out soon with it being Labor Day weekend so we have and extra day off and all :) -AddictedToBooks08**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here it, _finally,_ is…Chapter 10, ladies and gentlemen…beginnings kind of slow, but I think the end is good. Sorry it took so long :) Hope you enjoy it after you had to wait so long…**

**Chapter 10**

**Cammie's POV**

Okay, so I'm pretty sure we sent the nurses into a little flurry when they came into my room this morning and I wasn't there. I'm also pretty sure they weren't happy to find me where I was. Surprisingly, though, they didn't kick me out. And, I guess I can understand why they wouldn't have wanted us to do that, but it didn't matter anyways; Mom had already called to let them know she was going to check Zach and me out when she got here later this afternoon. Which means…she'd take me _home_-for the first time in over a month-I'd be home-at Gallagher. Even better: I'd be home with the answers I had set out for.

One of the nurses who had been taking care of Zach and me for the past week walked into his room carrying two trays. She was a sweet lady, with one of those smiles that was just meant to be around people who needed cheering up. She would make simple conversation with me when she'd bring in my food or change the pillows or something like that. So it didn't surprise me that she did something nice like this.

"I figured you'd want to eat in here so I brought both of your breakfasts," she smiled her perfectly whitened, sweet smile.

Zach and I were sitting up by this point, lying back against the tiny backboard. As she handed us trays, I thanked her kindly for everything she had done for me-well, us.

"Oh don't be silly; it's my job, but, thank you-and your welcome." And then she smiled and left.

"She's probably the nicest person we've met at the hospital…" I thought out loud.

"She just always brings you an extra jello cup," Zach teased, his breath in my ear sending a chill down my neck.

"That would be true too."

We sat in silence as we ate, and then when we were done, Zach-somehow- easily picked up both trays with his good hand, reached over and set them on the side table next to the bed. When he was done, he wrapped his arm around me and held me close to his side.

It was so weird-not, you know, him putting his arm around me- the peacefulness; the absolute quiet. No one seemed to be hunting me; no one seemed to really be paying specific attention to us. I missed this; my chameleoness; my ability to blend in and go about my day unnoticed. It's weird, though, to think how now, it feels so long ago that I could actually get away with it even though it's only been just about 2 years.

"What are you thinking about?" Zach blew into my ear.

"Oh nothing."

"Lie," he said within an instant.

I pointed to myself and said," Spy."

He just smirked," I hate to tell you, Gallagher Girl, but you've been spending way too much time around me."

"I think I already mentioned there's a guy in my life who's a bad influence," I teased him, remembering that night when he put his jacket around me and then shortly afterwards, my life was flipped upside down.

"Are you sure he's worth it?" Zach didn't sound like his usual cocky self; he sounded unsure, doubtful.

"Well see, I happen to love him, so it's not like I have much say in the matter."

"Yeah, but are you sure he's worth it?"

Why was Zach being so…un-like Zach? Had he gotten kicked in the head one too many times and it caused him to feel this insecure?

In response, I just kissed him.

"If I didn't think you're worth it, I wouldn't have cared so much whether you died-twice. If my mom didn't think you're worth it, she wouldn't have let you stay at Gallagher at the end of last semester, or when we leave today. If Bex, Liz, and Macey didn't think you're worth it, they-"

"Okay, I get it…I just…my mom-well you know who she is- I just wanted to make sure she hasn't scared you away."

"Nope, just scared me, period." Why was I taking this so lightly? I shouldn't be. "Zach…she may be your mom, but that doesn't mean that you are like her; it doesn't mean I'm gonna think you are just like her, following in her footsteps and everything. And…I know you didn't want me to know it, but _I don't see her_ when I look at _you_. I see _your_ green eyes, and _your _face, and _you_."

He looked so relieved, and when he kissed me, it was different than the one before. It was hungrier; it was more desperate. But we were both holding back; I was afraid he'd get hurt-um, hello, he still has a cast, well casts; and he was because, well, as much as I'd love to say I can read his mind, I can't, so he could be for any reason. And you might think how can the kiss feel so anxious, if we're both holding back? But trust me, it can, and just because we were kind of holding back, doesn't mean that we weren't savoring every moment of it.

All of a sudden, Zach pulled away, breathless," Cam, we need to stop."

Oh, I figured out why he was holding back…he wasn't, because by the sound in his voice, it was more like he had been restraining himself. Unfortunately, he was right.

"Yeah, I should probably go get ready for when my mom picks us up…" I started to slide to the side of the bed and get off when his good arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back.

"I didn't mean you had to go, Gallagher Girl…" he said as he pulled me down onto the pillow.

"You know, Zach, you're gonna do that one of these times when you're hurt and just end up hurting something else in the process."

He was smirking crazily," Nah, I'm indestructible."

What is it with guys thinking they're these supreme, all-powerful immortals that can't get hurt, I mean I have clear evidence, in several different cases, that they're not? "Yeah, Mr. Indestructible, alright; Mr. whose laying here in a hospital bed with two broken limbs of him, just recently getting off the IV that had been keeping him alive, oh and the same Mr. Indestructible who scared his girlfriend to death when she thought he died in the process of blowing himself up by shooting a box of explosives…yeah, _Mr. Indestructible alright._"

And then I realized what I had said, what I had _accidentally _said. You know…_when I said I was his girlfriend_. I hope I didn't look like too shocked, because I was trying very hard not to, that and to try and keep back the blush that so rarely came up. I didn't look at Zach, the possibilities of what his expression could be right now, were all just staring at me, laughing. No way I could have remained sitting there; I was away from him, before he could say anything-which is either because he was surprised, clueless, or I just moved really fast.

I got all the way to the door, before he spoke.

"Cam, wait."

I didn't turn back to look at him, I barely even stopped; I came up with an excuse to try and make it less obvious for why I was leaving.

"Sorry Zach, I should go get ready for when my mom gets here; I'll come in later, when I'm done." And then I flew out that door, and started walking back to my room.

Ok, yeah we told each other we loved each other, which is weird, because we've never made anything official or anything… but I mean, just because we did say that, does not mean we _are now_ official. So it's kind of-ok REALLY embarrassing to say it when you're not. I kind of understand why he wouldn't have, if it's even for these reasons, but: technically we go to completely different schools, his mother is head of the COC-which wouldn't stop us but it's just hard when she might be trying to _kill_ me- and also, if he has to leave after he gets better, how often would we see each other? And, probably mostly because, we're spies-well, a spy and an assassin; can you see where a relationship would get in the way?

And yeah, I know, I could just show some feminism and just ask him out if I really wanted to, but see, I'm kind of tired of having to do all the work when it came to Zach, yes I know, he said "I love you" first-but…it doesn't count; I'm tired of always trying to figure him out and decide what he thinks…so he can just ask me out if that's what he wants (because it's obvious now that_ I _want him to).

_God, I'm so stupid!_ I'm a spy; I'm constantly paying extra attention to everything, being even more aware to not make a mistake…So then HOW DID I MAKE THIS MISTAKE?

Okay, I guess I'm just being a really big drama queen, but when you go to a school for GIRLS, you don't get a lot of time around boys, therefore, we're all-well except for Macey, Bex, and Tina- very uneasy sometimes when we're around them, the very few times we are. And I even have greater reason to be, looking at how well my last relationship went…

…Time for new topic.

For the next hour, I did everything and anything I could think of: I got the clothes that I had been wearing the night of the mission back from the hospital and packed up all the things my and best friends had brought for me, I checked to see if the COC paper was still in the pocket of previously stated clothes…it was (that doesn't mean no one found it though), and then I ate lunch-although not much of it, since my stomach was going crazy. Of course, me not eating a lot didn't help, because the nurse was a little concerned that I might not be feeling as well as I was making it seem earlier, but staying here another night was not in my plans, so I quickly got her to believe I was fine.

Unfortunately, then I was left with only one thing I could do before I was stuck doing nothing. Although, it was a pleasant thing, and could possibly turn out to be a long thing. There was a phone on the table beside my bed; it was kind of outdated compared to what we have now and days, but it still worked. I dialed my mom's cell phone number- the one that was for me and only me to call on (meaning she had one for business and missions, and one for personal calls).

It rang for a while and when I heard her voice I thought it was the answering machine, but after she paused for awhile and kept saying "Hello?...Hello?... Cammie is that you?" I knew she was really on the line.

"Hey mom, I just wanted to call and ask you if you knew when you'd be here…the people at this place don't tell me anything."

She was just silent. As the door opened, I thought it was just a nurse so I didn't look up from the phone…I was way wrong.

"Mom? Hello? Are you still there?" she wasn't answering-which is never a good thing…and…was I echoing?

"Mom…" yep I definitely heard a delayed "mom" …coming from behind me.

I spun around to see my mom standing in the doorway, smiling at me, but she still had the phone up to her ear.

"Wow Cammie, are you really this impatient?" she spoke into the phone, but it didn't really matter that she did; I heard her in person.

"No…just curious." I said, as she hugged me tightly.

"Admit it. You missed me." She sounded so amused.

"Of course I missed you."

"Maybe you wouldn't have if you hadn't _already_ not seen me for four weeks."

There is was; I was wondering when we'd have this conversation, and it was probably not going to be pleasant. My face mimicked my uneasy feeling. Mom had been teasing earlier, but she had nothing but concern written all over her face.

"Cammie, do you realize how reckless that was? Do you know how worried you made everyone? How many agents were sent out to look for you; how many of them had extremely important missions to do, but were derailed? Do you realize what could have happened to you if the COC got a hold of you?" I think once she started she couldn't stop, because they just kept coming and coming, but the last one nerved me.

"Do _you_ even know? Because last time I recall talking to you; no one knew-"

"That doesn't mean you can just take off to figure out why all by yourself; you let the agents handle-"

"I. Am. An agent, Mom. And if I let the agents continue to just 'handle it' we _still_ wouldn't know anything. I mean, look at what they've discovered; _nothing_!"

"Oh, and I bet you did."

That actually hurt me; the look of sarcasm on her face, the tone in her voice. She didn't believe in me…well come to think of it, I didn't believe in me at some point in between sleeping in abandoned buildings, eating scraps in dumpsters, and not finding anything; but she's my mom- parents are supposed to outwardly support kids and doubt them inside, never letting them now they didn't ever.

I had never seen my mom like this; even if she had been really mad at me, even thought I _had_ almost died, and even though something much worse could have happened to me, she shouldn't be like _this_, we shouldn't be _arguing_ like this. But I didn't care, as awful as that sounds. She would take back the words, she'd take back thinking that I wasn't as good as the older, experienced agents, because I had found something, I had found what they couldn't: answers.

With the same scornfulness as her, I spoke, looking straight into her eyes," Yeah. I did." And then I threw the COC paper at her, knowing she'd catch it (she is a spy too after all, her instant reflexes would demand it), and then walked straight out the door, straight past the nurses, and doctors, and just random people, past them all, right towards the exit with my head held high.

No one stopped me; of course I knew I was probably being tailed and observed by ten different agents, but why would they stop me? As long as I stayed within the perimeter, I wasn't "running away"; and as long as I wasn't running away, I wasn't making fools out of them.

As long as I was in their view, I was safe to them; I wasn't able to run; I was their raven.

**So was the ending as good as I thought it was :P …Let me know what you thought, and I can't write to start writing Chapter 11 and 12! :) Oh, and thank you to all of you who wished me a happy birthday; it was sweet. And sorry to those I might have ticked off with all my message updates; I just like to be told what's going on, but I can understand if someone else doesn't feel that way. So, I won't do the million updates anymore-just maybe one or two :) –AddictedToBooks08**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Cammie's POV**

Talk about an awkward car ride… It only took Mom 10 minutes to recover herself, get Zach and then probably apologize for me running out without being checked out. I could tell, as my mom wheeled Zach past my door, that he wanted to talk to me, but I think he must have known something had happened between me and my mom. So, instead, he just sat quietly in the back seat…the entire 45 minute drive.

Meanwhile, Mom was attempting to make polite conversation with us, and trying to look excited that we were going home. Not that I didn't think she was excited that we were; I just meant that I think she's trying to hide how she feels about our little argument and the COC document. In case you didn't know, my mom and I try not to-and don't- fight but a few times a decade, lately though, in the past year, there have seemed to be more. About what? Oh, the COC and how no one will ever tell me what's going on- whether it's classified or not. I mean, don't they understand that_ I'm_ the one who is being hunted; the one- of all people- who should know- to better prepare and strategize for what might happen.

…_Anyways_…sometimes I'd give her a more-than-one-syllable answer, sometimes I'd actually say a few, full sentences, but other times I'd just nod my head. The conversation was just making me more frustrated, though, and right about now, would have been the time I would have disappeared into one of my many secret tunnels and hid away there for awhile 'till I could calm down, come out, and apologize. But I was in a car, a little under 30 minutes away from Gallagher mansion, and those tunnels, _my _tunnels, were gone, sealed forever from me, to keep the enemy out-but really to keep me in.

I guess I blame my mom a little bit for that, but deep down I know the majority of it wasn't her decision; it was _theirs_. The CIA and FBI and M16 agents who thought, if given a window, I would fly from it, if given the chance, I would hide forever in one of the passageways where they couldn't ever find me, and then I'd find a way to sneak away from them, forever escaping their cage of protection.

What am I doing? I'm acting like Gallagher is _nothing_ but a prison, but it's not. It's the only home I have; it's my family. It is also prison, but it's the best safe house I would choose- if _it's_ even safe anymore. And even now, if there are new bars on the windows, I'm glad to finally be going back.

The road and scenery were becoming more familiar; we were close, so close that we just passed a Roseville sign and shortly after, saw a sign for the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. If it had been a week or two closer to when school actually starts, this street would have been backed up for miles as parents dropping off their girls, waited to turn onto the side street that led to the Gallagher mansion. But now it was practically deserted (I could only imagine how abandoned Gallagher mansion must be).

My heart was racing as we pulled onto the side road that ran right in front of Gallagher Academy. As much as I thought this place was becoming tainted with too many restrictions (we are spy after all, our fun is sneaking through tunnels and becoming the ideal fly on the wall), I undeniably missed it. And you know what? I was actually looking forward to having it all to myself for a little, like I use to at the end of summer when I was younger, roaming the halls, exploring the passageways, so mystified by it all. Maybe I'd do that again now; look to see if they missed any passages…or maybe discover new ones. I feel like the little, newbie, seventh grader I once was, amazed by the entire place, eager to explore it all, be an adventurer and learn of secrets that only I would know. Who knows…maybe, if I get the time, I could…or maybe the mansion would be even more locked down than before.

It was like I was having a panic attack I was so excited…which is really weird; I felt I could get there faster by running. Yet, I couldn't move, just stare intently at the road ahead, waiting for the break that was the exit from the mansion. The beautiful dog woods that outlined the entire mansion's perimeter and the road, extended over the car, creating a fall like shade, but their healthy green leaves had no sign of autumn in them.

And there it was… the opening…the long opening. There it was just how I'd left it almost 6 weeks ago. Except, now the drop-off area in front of the school wasn't packed with cars and people. There was just one…Aunt Abby's. She hadn't come to see me at all in the hospital, but at least I could see her now. As the car stopped next to Aunt Abby's, I got out to help Zach ease into his wheelchair, even though he resisted it.

"It's okay; I got it," he said, kind of squirming away from me, and I moved to the side out of his way so he didn't further hurt himself.

I guess I understood; he was guy, who didn't like to depend on others and had probably always just had himself to depend on…but it still hurt a little.

He knew it too, because when he finally got settled into the wheelchair, he took my hand and gently kissed it.

"Thank you though." He whispered, so it was all okay.

My mom was hesitating near the front of the car as if she was waiting for something, with a giant smile on her face. That something just came flying out the door and flew into me.

"Cameron Morgan, don't ever do that again." At first I thought Aunt Abby was really mad, but then she pulled back, smiling. " You had too many of us worried, Squirt, when no one could find you…I must say…you're so much like your dad-nah, your mom…ok, both of 'em."

"No, I'm pretty sure she takes after you, Abby," my mom joined in, laughing.

"If she could be so lucky," I loved Abby's laugh. Suddenly, her attention shifted to Zach.

"And you…" I thought she was maybe mad at him for not bringing me in when he found me, and by the looks of it, he did too. "You didn't do bad kid."

It seemed like something had changed in her attitude towards him. She no longer seemed to have the same opinion as she did when she warned me to stay away from him. I don't know if I'd say she completely trusts him yet, but I think she's getting there. I wonder what changed her mind.

"Alright, come on; let's go inside."

My heart sped up again when Mom said that. I wonder if it had changed, or if it was the same Gallagher as I remember. (There were no bars on the windows at least.) I began wheeling Zach towards the stairs, and began to contemplate how we were going to get him up. But they had already taken care of that though; a new, temporary ramp was installed to the right of the stairs, the top laying on the little part of porch that lay all on the front of the mansion that wasn't connected to stairs.

Despite how steep the ramp was and how not light Zach is, I still managed to roll him up it pretty quick. Aunt Abby had left the big, oak front doors open as she had run out to greet us, and it felt just like normal to walk through them, into the stone grand foyer. It looked normal, like before they had sealed my passageways and I had begun to question whether it was still a home or not. Not much could ruin this moment, in fact, nothing did. Not when my mom said I should go unpack the things that had been at the hospital and then she'd make dinner, not when I thought I'd have some alone time since my mom was going to go help Zach get settled into his room he'd have in the infirmary until he was ready for the one in the west wing he had stayed in last semester and then my three best friends appeared from nowhere, bounding down the grand staircase at me, not even when my mom was the one that made dinner.

Well, that last one maybe would have had a little effect had I not been able to share it with the six people in the world I loved the most, with the only exception that I still wished two other special men could have been there. We laughed a lot during dinner; Aunt Abby was her usual comic self, with the added assistance of Zach, Bex, and Macey. When I was rolling Zach in there at the beginning of dinner, I was kind of worried he wouldn't really feel comfortable, or everyone would just sort of not any pay attention to him, but I think it's official that they've pretty much adopted him into the school-which is not an easy thing to accomplish.

When we all finished, all the paper plates had been thrown away, and we had all had enough hysterical laughter, we said goodnight to my mom and aunt, and the five of us dispersed into the hallway. I told the girls to go ahead to our room; I'd take Zach back to his and then come up-pinky promise. After a little coaxing, they left.

We went in silence…yeah, I know, now would be the perfect time to have a talk, but I wasn't ready to bring it up myself and he must not feel like talking. I can't say I minded much; quiet never felt weird around Zach, silence never felt uncomfortable; we were both just thinking, analyzing and interpreting about a million things a second, like we were taught. Well, like _I_ was taught; I no longer knew how much different that could be from Zach.

He surprised me though, when we finally reached his room and he lifted himself onto the bed. "Hey, Cam? ...Look I-"

I was kinda not wanting to have this conversation right now, and so I started easing back to the door.

"Um, I'm really tired Zach, and I want to see…Mr. Solomon before I went to bed, so we can just talk tomorrow…"

If he hadn't been so sore when he walked he would have followed me and probably made me stop and talk to him, but now all he could do was call after me. You probably think I'm being kind of… cruel? Immature? Avoidant? And I will fully admit to being all of those, but can you blame me for wanting to put it off? Maybe you can.

However, not all of what I said had been a lie; I really did want to stop in and see how Joe was doing. I hadn't seen him in six months and I wanted to see if he'd changed at all, looked better-possibly worse. I slowly walked to his room, afraid what I might find; I knew he wouldn't look as bad as I was imagining. The girls had said that he was the same-not worse. But even the same can be bad.

His door was open and my spy ears could just barely make out a slight, but steady beeping that was his heart monitor. When I walked in, I have to say, heart lifted a little. He looked much better than he had right after the accident; the cuts and bruises on his face and arms weren't as noticeable, in fact they were practically transparent scars, and his skin wasn't so sickly. It looked healthy again; he looked healthy, and yet he wasn't awake yet…he may never be.

The girls may have been wrong about how he looked but they had also been right; he was the same: still in a coma, still seeming as if he was gone from us. I hated seeing my amazing CoveOps teacher looking like this, the one that risked everything to make sure _I_ believed he was innocent, and had gotten captured and pretty much ended up in the situation he was in because he had to make sure _I_ had been safe.

Back when this had happened, so many other things had been going on with it that I never really had the time to think about him, and all of the things that I was now. Moments where his lessons weren't meaningless units, but had mattered and had cause me to succeed instead of fail, moments he had encouraged me and praised me for being one of the few to complete something successfully.

And before I knew it, I was breaking one of the key spy rules by crying-hysterically. I couldn't take it anymore as I rushed out of his room, running into something extremely hard…Zach? Yep, there he was, standing with crutches, well now kind of stumbling since I ran into him-which would have been rude of me if he wasn't supposed to be walking in the first place. I was shocked-no I was way past shocked or stunned and had past surprise a _long_ time ago. Luckily, he regained his balance by himself, because I was still wide-eyed and staring open mouthed.

"How-You-!" The rest after that was just a bunch of incoherent syllables. I know, as a spy I should be prepared for anything…but can anyone be prepared to run into someone on crutches that still had a broken leg and shouldn't be making serious movements. Eventually I formed actual words and then phrases, and finally I got to: "Zach…! How-What the heck are you doing? You have a broken leg! Walking on it could cause serious damage!-"

"Therefore I'm using the crutches-"

"But you're not supposed to moving at all; you had internal-"I have to admit, I was FREAKING OUT! …Well…I was worried about him.

"A doctor's coming tomorrow to put on a walking cast, besides, I don't need as much healing time as anyone else-I heal faster-"

"Yeah, yeah; you're Mr. Indestructible, but Zach…You're. Going. To. Get-"

"Cammie!" I don't think I'd ever heard Zach yell like that before. He looked really frustrated but then his face softened and he reached up to touch the side of my face. "Just shut up for one second so I can tell you why I risked re-breaking my leg- or whatever you think I'm going to do." He had a small smirk- nothing compared to his normal one.

Whatever it was that he wanted to say was seriously bothering him so I stayed quiet and waited for him to talk, except he was having trouble with the crutches and was starting to wobble.

"Ok look, I'll listen to whatever you want to stay but please just go back-"

"No, it's okay; I have a solution." He hopped backwards a little and leaned against the wall. It made me nervous though; anything could happen that would cause him to ho tumbling, hurting himself worse than he had started out. But the way he had situated himself against the wall allowed him to not really need the crutches anymore.

He reached out, and since he had such long arms, he was able to take my hand and pull me towards him, and hold me at arm' length.

"I know that tomorrow could be a completely different day than the one before, and we have no idea how long I will be remaining at Gallagher, and my mom…she's well-her…but…Cam, will you be my girlfriend…and go out on a date with me-a _whole_ date?" he didn't look vulnerable, but he didn't look cocky either; his face was hintless to how he felt and I searched it for a second before I answered.

"Yes…and that whole ditching thing was technically your fault since you kept lying to me." I was smiling like a fool, luckily Zach was smiling too otherwise I would have felt like a smiling idiot-which I probably was anyways.

Zach pulled me closer to him and kissed me.

Not to sound like a total girl…but he had _finally_ asked me out; we're official…oh, God, I hope this one turns out better than the last relationship I was in. But I knew it would be; Zach and Josh are completely different people, completely different lives, and Zach and I are more alike than Josh and I would ever be. _This_ relationship didn't have to be a secret, in fact, it already wasn't; we didn't have to sneak around; Zach didn't have to not know about who I was, the secret about my school, because he already knew. He knew _me_, and slowly I was starting to know him.

It was starting to get harder to think as the kiss got more intense. Something new was there between us, something pushing us closer and closer to each other. It was kind of like the feeling when we kissed in the tower, but this one…wasn't like we were afraid it'd be the last one; this time we knew it wouldn't be, and this time, I know where I stood with Zachary Goode, and I knew where he stood with me, regardless of his past, his family, or what could possibly be his legacy. So many new, foreign feelings were rushing around inside me, things I had never felt while kissing Josh, and all of them wanted more, to be closer and closer to him. Something told me we should stop though, but I wasn't listening to it. And the longer I ignored it, the louder it got until it was just screaming at me.

Yet my fingers remained tangled in his hair as he held my face to his with one hand while the other was wrapped around my waste, hugging me close to him. I could feel his body heat through his shirt, and his hand on my face felt like a raging flame that had escaped and everywhere it touched, it set it afire. It felt amazing and intoxicating all the same time.

But a minute and 31 seconds later, we finally had to pull away from each other because 1) I don't know about him, but I needed to breathe, and 2) I had realized we had to stop, that it wasn't the time for this; yeah, maybe after Zach no longer has a _cast_ still on his leg and is out of the infirmary (I'd say until his arm is healed too, but he doesn't seem to be having any issues with it right now).

I smiled at him," Night Zach." I quickly kissed him sweetly, and then started to walk out of the infirmary, but turned around to stop and smile at him in the doorway as he said," Night, Gallagher Girlfriend."


	12. Chapter 12

**Here it finally is…sorry it took me so long. This chapter is different than all the others, because this one brings back all the girls' close relationship, which is completely different theme then I've been writing about, so I had a little more trouble with it. I hope you like it for the wait you had for it :P**

**Chapter 12**

**Cammie's POV**

Walking back to my room, I had nothing but really girly, very excited, cloudy thoughts that were very un-spy like. And none were…very thorough.

_I am….Zach is….he's…_ I couldn't find the words or word to get across what I was trying to think…words that would explain my excitement. But then I got it…finally after ten minutes of wondering.

_He's…Zach is…he's…he's Mine! _I was smiling, and smiling, and smiling; I couldn't stop smiling. It's incredible how he makes me feel. I get butterflies by just thinking his name, my head spins from talking about him, and when I'm actually with him…it's everything plus chills, and smiles, and fast heartbeats, and…a feeling of total happiness…_God! Listen to me!_ _I'm turning into a total girl!_

Slightly repelled by myself, I calmed down a little. But I couldn't keep him out of my head. Every wonderful thing he has done for me, with me, or said to me, each adding a spark of joy. I barely noticed how I was subconsciously making my way to my room, and then walking in.

However, I did very much notice when a whole bunch of weight was thrown on top of me and I was tackled to the floor by three, very curious girls who, unfortunately, had a license to interrogate…or in other words: torture.

Dragging me into the room by my limbs, they tied me to the old desk chair and proceeded to interrogate information out of me.

"Tell us everything that happened!"

"Okay, but is it really necessary to tie me to a chair?" I asked looking helpless.

"YES!" They really scare me sometimes; they had a wild look in their eyes and were practically bouncing up and down, anticipating what I was possibly about to tell them.

"Okay well, after we started walking back to the infirmary-"

"Stop."

"What?"

"From the beginning," Macey insisted.

"You mean when he found me?"

"Yes, now continue."

"Okay, um…well I was in D.C. in the alley where…Abby was shot, and I was about to leave when he tackled me. I knew he had been following me, but I didn't know it was him _him_, but I guess I wasn't as surprised as I should have been when I realized it was him. And you guys know that I hadn't wanted him to come with me either and I was trying to get away from him so he wouldn't, and honestly I did try to get him to stop tailing me…But you know Zach; he's too stubborn."

After that I shortly recounted our brunch at the diner, and our talk in the park…how we ended up in Idaho, and of course, _EVERYTHING_ that happened in the hotel room (if I didn't, they would either assume the worst, or torture it out of me anyways). Then I arrived at the topic of the mission, and I guess it never really hit me what all went down-or the reality of it. We killed people, well, Zach probably already had-which kinda scares me-but I've never done it. There was just that one time when I thought about killing Zach's mom. And, I kind of felt ashamed by it; even though I shouldn't if I planned to continue on the track I was, which would involve more killing.

But, nonetheless, I still told them everything: how we got in undetected (at least we think undetected), about the base's set up, about killing those people, how Zach came to save from that guy who was relentlessly beating me, about the mission report about my dad, and then of course, how Zach almost died in my arms.

I swear the four of us have never been as quiet as when I finished talking. After a long, silent pause, Liz finally spoke," Do you still have the report?"

"Well, kind of…I 'gave' it to my mom for her to look at, and I never got it back." I guess you could say I used selective word choice in explaining exactly how I "gave" it to her.

"Wow…well I guess we know why they want Cammie then." It's funny how this information that we've wanted to know for a while now, didn't seem to lighten the room in the least, or cause anyone to breathe a little easier than they had before. But the fact was, we just knew that they were after me because of my dad and something he knew, we don't know what that is-which is what they want-and what I don't have.

"Not really though, we just know they're after me because of my dad-which we already kind of assumed; we still don't know what information they want from me." I said sadly, realizing that it hadn't helped as much as I thought it had.

"But we know for sure now, which means we can research more in depth into things your dad did and knew before he was…caught…" Liz-being on the R&D track had started out excited knowing she'd have a challenge to find useful information, but was avoiding my gaze by the end.

We were silent because we knew the problem behind Liz's plan, but no one wanted to say it.

Luckily, we can always count on Macey to be the bold, courageous girl she's always been to say what no one else can. "The only problem is, is that the only way to get that information is from the only other person who could possibly know what Chris Morgan knew, is in a coma, with no way of communicating with people in the real world."

That's when I banged my head very hardly on the wall behind my chair for being so stupid.

"Girls! We're forgetting one important fact! Mr. Solomon did have one asset that he shared his knowledge with, one that couldn't literally tell his secrets. The one asset we risked everything to acquire in the tombs…"

"His journal!" All three shouted when the put the last clue together.

"But wait, did you and Zach get it out of the explosion?"

The moment when Zach handed me the journal, then when he told me to run as he blew the box flashed through my mind and that fear that had gripped me when I had thought he was gone forever.

"Yes, we did."

"Great! Let's look at it then." Liz said smiling brightly, excited to use her researching skills.

"Well…see, I'm not the one that has it…" I said uncomfortably since this may not be as easy as I thought it would.

"Wait! Your _mom_ has it?" Bex asked, eyes bugging out, assuming the worst.

"No! No, Zach does."

"Well, then it should be easy to get it from him." Macey said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not worried he won't give it to me…I'm worried he doesn't necessarily have it with him."

"Well, then he's probably read it by now, and can tell us anything about it we want to know." Bex said.

"Except what if what we're looking for isn't something noticeable, what if it's not a major point you would remember…what if it's hidden in there, so you'd have to have the journal in order to figure it out." I said, knowing that _that_ was the absolute truth, and the girls knew it too.

"Well, then all we can do is go ask Zach if he has the journal or wait for Mr. Solomon to wake up and quite being a vegetable so he can just tell us." Macey would be the one to put it so bluntly, but none of us could ever hate her for it…in fact we loved her for it.

"Perfect!" "Let's go!" The other two chorused, as I just sat in my chair with wide eyes.

"Hey, wait! First of all, it's after midnight; Zach's probably sleeping, and he needs to stay that way while healing. And second of all, you can't just leave me here."

They all stopped and looked at each other, and shrugged. "We _could_ leave her…"

"_Yeah_…._But_ Zach would be more willing to hand it over to her…"

They were weighing the sides, honestly trying to decide _whether they should leave me here!_

"Do you guys not remember he's recovering from BEING SHOT? He needs to sleep not have _4_ girls come storming into his room this late." I said with a stern look…though, I wasn't really in a position right now to be telling anyone what to do right now since I was tied to a chair.

"Eh, he'll get over it," Bex said shrugging, "besides, isn't he always saying he's indestructible anyways? So then he doesn't need to sleep anyways."

"I guess that's true…" I said smiling, thinking how most people would use the fact that they're injured as leverage, but now Zach couldn't.

"And as for you coming with us…how do we know when we untie you just won't, I don't know, run off again?"

Okay, that may have hurt a little.

"Because I know it's not worth it anymore." I whispered. Despite my commitment to no one coming with me, someone did; and just like I had predicted, he got hurt. And for what? So my suspensions about why I was wanted were confirmed? So that I could now know my dad very well could be alive, but just not _sane_? It's not worth it anymore.

"Hm," Bex accent was thick as she stared at me," what do you think, Mace? Can we should let her go?"

I would have been seriously upset if I hadn't seen Bex wink at me then. That's the moment I knew, my girls would always forgive me; they would always be with me; they would always be mine.

"I guess we're just gonna have to trust her." Macey was smiling that award-winning, photogenic smile.

The second I was free and grabbed my three best friends that I have and will ever have, and made up for all the hugs I probably missed out on while I was gone.

"I love you guys!" I said, squeezing harder.

"Ah, Cam, we love you too….always!"

**Now all I want to say is, that I pray to God that the next chapter doesn't take as long as this one did :) …Hope to hear from me soon ;) –All That Is Goode**

**P.S. Don't you like my new username so much better ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Merry Christmas everyone! I bet you can guess what you're Christmas present from me is ;) If you said Chapter 13 then you'd be correct :) Hope you enjoy and also Happy Hanukah to those who celebrate it, and anything else that I haven't named. Happy Holidays!**

**Chapter 13**

Cammie's POV

Gallagher mansion is a wondrous thing at night; the way the moonlight slides across the stone walls. The way the shadows that linger are big enough for you to hide in-perfect for late night missions. Missions like the one we were on. Really, there was no need for secrecy; there was no curfew on summer break, no teachers roaming the halls looking for culprits, but we're spies: it's more fun this way.

Quietly, one behind the other, we crept down to the infirmary, where Zach was peacefully sleeping, with no idea of the hailstorm that was heading his way. He was lying there, looking so serenely, that I almost didn't want to wake him. Just then, Macey gently elbowed me and I lightly started to shake him.

"Zach…Zachy…Wake up," I whispered softly.

"Cam?" he barely muttered audibly, his voice soft with drowsiness.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Don't _ever_ call me 'Zachy' again," he said smirking, as he pulled his eyes open.

I smiled; even when he was still half asleep, leave it to Zach to be cocky.

"Why? Too _cute_ for 'ya?" I teased.

"I don't think 'cute' is the right word." He said, wrapping his arms around me to pull me down for a kiss.

Right before his lips met mine, one of the girls pointedly cleared their throat," Do you two think you could refrain from touching each other for oh, 5 minutes?" the oh-so-sarcastic, British accent which could none other than Bex's piped up.

"Well excuse me if I like to kiss my girlfriend hello," Zach said pointedly-but in a joking way.

Oh wait…he just said…oops! I guess I had forgotten to tell them_ one thing_.

All three of their mouths dropped open and their eyes bugged out. Macey was the quickest to recover, in which the next second she was smirking," Well it took you two long enough."

Bex was the next," WHEN YOU WERE FILLING US IN, YOU DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO TELL US THAT YOU TWO ARE NOW DATING?"

As if to make matters worse, Zach decided to rub it in a little and interjected," Hey! No yelling at _my_ girlfriend."

All three of them gave him murderous looks…well actually it was just Macey and Bex as Liz was smiling.

"Okay, so…that was what I was about to tell you when you interrupted me and had me start at the very beginning of the story when we met up in D.C. and then by the end, I had gotten side-tracked," I stated, avoiding their eyes.

"Oh, so is it not important enough for you to remember?" Zach raised his eyebrows-but I knew he was teasing.

"Of course it's giant, but I got caught up in the whole COC thing, and** Solomon's journal**, which is** why we're here in the first place**." I emphasized words at the end, eyeing the girls who had lost sight of the real matter at hand.

"Oh right!" Liz said, like she normally says "Oopsie daisies!"

"What about Solomon's journal?" Zach asked, suddenly business-like.

"Well…we were wondering if you had it…?" I inquired.

"Gallagher Girl," he said, tilting his head as if he could pretend he was disappointed in me," how dumb do you think I'd be to carry around one the most important possessions of the most wanted man by _both sides_?"

I tried to be too disappointed, I mean, what were the odds? And besides, he did have a point.

"So that means you've hidden it somewhere," Macey more concord, than asked.

"Yes, but I'd rather like it if you _wouldn't_ go after it, since I've set up quite a nice number of protections to guard it, and I wouldn't be too happy if my new girlfriend was killed so soon."

"Now what kind of spies would we be if we went and got killed? Please! Just a little more faith than that!" I said, teasingly.

"Nope, still too dangerous; I'm not telling you where it is." He said, faying stubbornness.

"Alright Goode, you have 10 seconds to tell us, before we break your other leg-" Bex began positioning herself where she very well could break his not-shot leg.

"Okay, okay girls; I think I can handle this one. Why don't you three just step outside for a second…" I rambled as I started to herd Bex, Macey, and Liz out the door. Of course they protested…something about "I'd be too soft, too emotionally attached," but in the end I was able to shove them out the door, and lock it before they could try and get back in.

I let out a sigh, and then went back to standing next to Zach.

"So tell me, what form of…_torture_ did you have in mind?" Zach asked, wagging his eyebrows.

"If you're going to be rather suggestive like that, then I'll bring Bex right back in here and she can try her method out on you." I said; as I leaned down to kiss him.

After approximately 20 seconds, Zach pulled away and muttered sarcastically against my lips," Oh, no, please, anything but that."

"That's more like it," I smiled, and leaned down to repeat the occurrence. I figured the girls would give me anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes depending on their mood at the moment, and then they would come swooping in and take over.

"Zach…" I mumbled against his lips, but then deepened the kiss. There was no way he was going to be able to refuse surrendering the location of the journal…I mean; _I_ was even having a little trouble retaining any self-control myself.

"Zach…" I tried again, swooped down for one last, quick kiss, and then rested my forehead on his. Blown away, and breathlessly, I continued," _Tell me…_.where's the journal, Zach? Come on, we're all spies; we're all trained to do basic recover missions like this all the time; we're taught to infiltrate bases, dodge traps, recover the target, and get out quick as possible…We're _born_ for this." The entire time I didn't raise more voice above soft murmur.

"Yeah Cam, but I was born to _set_ these traps, to make sure that they are…_efficient_ in doing their job. I make them to people _can't_ get what I don't want them to, whether they're my girlfriend and her best friends or not."

In a leap of faith, and lack of better judgment (I mean, who knows if the girls will actually agree to it), I spontaneously stated with growing courage," Then come with us."

We didn't break eye contact for the next 15 seconds; he just stared dreamily into my eyes (very attractively, may I add), and I just stayed there, practically laying completely on top of him, gazing into his, hoping that I wouldn't have to let Bex take over command.

"How Cam? I can't walk properly yet; my arm's still broken; how can I be anything but a burden?" he asked, on the cusp of anger and frantic.

"I-I'll convince the girls to wait 'till you can walk without limping or any help and your arm's better," I stuttered, realizing how much trouble it might be to get three girls, much less three Gallagher Girls, to wait to do something that they were jumping at the bit to do. "But think about it Zach; if you come, you already know what and where the traps are, and you probably know how to turn them off momentarily for us to get through them. You would be the one advantage we have over the system; _you_-**in a **_**figurative**_** meaning**- would be our protection against it."

I saw the crease in his forehead smooth over, and his eyes formed a softer gaze.

He smiled-no not the signature Zach Goode smirk, a _smile_," Now _that_ is a point that might actually make our case!"

He slid his hand around towards the back of my neck and pulled me down for another kiss.

"So you do understand then that when I say 'figuratively', I mean it," I said with mock sternness. "It does _NOT_ mean you can go and jump in front of an on-coming threat that would probably have no chance in harming me before I had moved out of the way, because you _thought_ I might have been in trouble. No being _the hero_. _Understand?_"

He rolled his eyes," Well, I guess, _if I have no other choice,_ I could lay back a little on the heroic quality that is so present in every part of me," he winked at me-which made my stomach flutter- and then continued a little more seriously. "Alright Cam, I'll hold back and not be too jumpy around you; I'll even try to worry less."

"_Don't_ worry," I said, nervously.

"Now, come on Cam, someone's gotta worry otherwise we get careless…"

"O-Kay," I said, which took an extraordinarily large amount of strength.

"Okay," he said, agreeing with me, sounding with more finesse, smiling.

"Okay," I repeated at a much quieter tone, meeting him smile for smile, suddenly heart-warningly close to Zach and his beautiful, emerald eyes, and lips that felt like a blazing fire against mine.

This time I didn't count the seconds we kissed; I didn't pay attention to any other details except the way I felt while kissing him, the way his lips felt pressing against mine. The way it felt so calming but passionate, yet relaxing, and still I wanted to hyperventilate. I only paid attention to the way wherever his hand moved along my face or neck or arm, or along my back and side that were covered with clothes, he still left little goose bumps all along his path. How his hair felt so soft between my fingers. How the entire sensation came together to create a feeling of…I'm not even sure what to call it…just agonizingly amazing.

We pulled apart minutes, hours, years-it seems-both breathing heavily, content with just gazing happily into the other's eyes. At some point, I had been completely lifted off the ground and placed comfortably and completely on-…well, top of Zach.

And right about then is when three very agitated young ladies came bursting-literally-threw the door, proving to cause a very awkward situation.

**Decided to stop there :) Again, Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoyed your Christmas/Holiday present from me…You know what would be a good present from you to me…Reviews ;) I hope you hear again from me soon ;) –All That Is Goode**


	14. Chapter 14

** Firstly, I am going to apologize so many times for taking sooooooo long: I'm sorry; I'm sorry; I'm sorry; I'm sorry; I'm sorry; infinite and beyond…I've been soooo busy these past three to four weeks-I kid you not. So to make up for it I wrote you all a very long chapter, and stayed up extremely late to do so; so late in fact, that I will most likely crash at school tomorrow because I'm going to get so little sleep tonight. Secondly, and definitely most importantly, I am dedicating this chapter, this past chapter, and every future chapter the reviews, and all the people that put me on their favorites' list, and alerts' list: you all are soooo amazing, I really cannot get over how truly amazing you all are. Especially you reviewers-and you know who you are- that leave the most flattering and absolutely wonderful reviews known to man. I LOVE YOU ALL! So without further A'do…**

**Chapter 14**

**Cammie's POV**

The second they understood what was going on, all three irrupted into a large amount of immature comments.

"Ugh!"

"Yep, scarred for life."

"It burns! Oh, it burns!"

"Oh! Shut up!" I muttered as I carefully rolled over Zach, back onto the floor.

"Excuse us if we were momentarily blinded from walking in on what was _supposed to be_ an interrogation…which doesn't seem to be what you were doing- at least from where we're standing." Macey said sarcastically.

"Well, it just so happens that we did come to a deal referring to the mission." I said, raising my eyebrows, defiantly.

"Oh?" Bex raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"Ok just remember that-"

"No way!" Macey suddenly said.

"I haven't even-"

"I know what you're thinking, and I don't think it's a good enough solution."

Momentarily caught up glaring at Macey for her closed mindedness and not hearing me out, Bex and Liz meanwhile were spluttering out agitated," What's going on?"

"Cammie wants us to bring Zach," Macey said dejectedly, without breaking my glare.

"But he's crippled!"

"Hey! I prefer: momentarily-mobile-ly-challenged!" Zach piped up defensively.

"Now is not the time, Zach!" I snapped agitatedly. "Look-"

"Cammie, think about it, he could get hurt even worse; and, he could get someone else hurt. It's too dangerous-"

"Which is why-if you'd let me finish- I was also going to propose that…we wait until Zach is healed and then go on the mission."

Wow, and I thought their outburst earlier had been loud. The moment I suggested mine and Zach's plan, a very deafening chorus of "No," vibrated the room. And I don't mean to sound mean when I say that, it really wasn't fair that they wouldn't even hear me out...Yeah, yeah, I know: life isn't fair-blah!

"Hey!" I exploded, demanding that they stop yelling and listen to me for a second. "Listen to me. What over choice do we have? Yes, Zach knows where it is and could tell us and we could go by ourselves this very instant to retrieve it; but Zach also booby-trapped it, and _Zach_ is the only person who knows what those traps are and how to safely get through them. We _need_ Zach, either way. And I agree with you guys: if we went now and took him with us, he would just be a danger to us all-and ultimately not helpful at all-"

"Gee, thanks Cam," he muttered sarcastically.

"Don't 'thanks Cam' me; you said the exact same thing yourself when it was just you and me in here," I said, giving him the look. You know the one only a really convincing girl can give. He just rolled his eyes at me, and I continued on.

"Anyways-"

"No, we get it Cam; ultimately, Zach is our one and only, most important asset, and without him, we're pretty much flying blind, but can't he just, I don't know, write down everything, or we could hook him up to our coms unit…?" Liz suggested…which actually was very good ideas from a R&D track person.

I was about to, gently, tell her it would be 100 times better for him to be there in, well, wherever it was with us, but Zach beat me to it.

"No, it's too dangerous without me being there; Cam, or any one of you, could and probably would, end up doing something stupid and getting yourselves hurt. I'm the only one that knows every one of the place's weaknesses, and in any dire situations, I'm the only one that would be able find, and defeat them quick enough." He sat stubbornly.

Ever so sarcastically, Macey spoke in her usual tone," So what you really mean to say is: you won't let us go alone, because, like usual, you have to be there in case your girlfriend here almost gets herself killed so you can 'jump in front of the bullet' for her? Hm?" She raised an eyebrow.  
"By George, I think she's got it," he said, feigning excitement, in a rather good impression of someone British. It made me laugh very hard to the point my sides were aching. Unfortunately the girls quickly drew me back to what was happening back around me.

"Look Cammie, we're sorry, but just because your boyfriend here has some serious over protective-obsessive issues-"

"Watch it McHenry," Zach growled.

"Isn't a good enough reason for us to delay the mission; we would have thought we would agree with us, since you probably want to know what's in that journal just as much as we do." Macey continued like she hadn't even heard Zach.

I barely got a letter out before-once again-I was interrupted by Zach.

"Okay, well here's a good enough reason: I won't tell you where the journal is hidden until I can walk properly again and can go with you." Zach said, getting rather heated.

"You know, Goode, we do have our own methods of persuasion," Bex said with a very evil look on her face that any of us good pinpoint as the face that she was already deciphering which way to torture him first.

"Oh believe me, I know you do; however, I don't believe Cammie would allow you to further hurt her already injured boyfriend, who's all but defenseless against three, very healthy, strong girls as yourself."

Wow, I didn't realize before now how Zach could really make himself sound so… weak…and helpless…_and totally full of crap_.

"Yes well, Cammie can be dealt with; and come one Goode, we both know you're not that vulnerable," Bex rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms impatiently.

"Even still," I finally managed to get out before anyone could interrupt me," he still shouldn't be at risk for any more harm-even if her is full of it… And what do you mean I can be 'dealt'-Hey! What do you think you're-" I asked, perturbed at the fact that Macey was rather very harshly, shoving me against the wall, as Bex and Liz moved close to Zach.

"Look, we tried to do this the easy way, and we'll give you one more chance Goode, and then you're going to perfectly learn my signature move from my karate class," Bex smiled menacingly; that girl really scared me sometimes.

"Bex, don't!" I tried desperately.

She just pretended as if I wasn't even there.

"I'm giving you until the count of three to start talking or start hurting…1…"

No word from Zach, but plenty of exasperated pleads from me, most very irritated as I was forcefully being pinned against the wall by one of my best friends, the other two about to cause serious damage to my already damaged boyfriend… And why yes, we do live in an extremely messed up world.

"…2…"

Zach just stared at her, his eyes seeming to be trying to burn holes through her. I was searching the room for a form of escape from this crazy situation, when right at the last second I found it. Feeling as if there was no time to spare-which, if I ever wanted Zach to be able to walk again, there really wasn't- and kneed, punched, and threw Macey to the side, surprisingly completely catching her off guard, I moved not towards Bex, but to the Call button only 3 feet from me. You see, if I had gone to Bex trying to stop her, I would have only proceeded to get my butt kicked and be right back in the position I had been in; however, now, they couldn't make a single move, before my mother and aunt would swarm down here in a second.

Bex and Macey knew it too, and they just narrowed their eyes at me; sweet, darling Liz just stood there by Bex watching all of this.

"You wouldn't _dare_," Macey spat.

"Try me," I said, copying Zach's smirk.

Bex disgustedly, rolled her eyes, "Oh geez, she's been spending too much time with _him_." But neither of them made a move towards Zach, then again, they didn't move away from him either. I would just have to make them.

"Now before I touch this button, and we're _all_ in trouble, back slowly away from the injured boy, and go back to bed…" I said slowly, and calmly.

Macey moved her mouth as if she was about to protest but I stopped her. "Nope, not one word; go."

They barely moved an inch but it was in the wrong direction, so I moved my finger too- closer to the Call button, the button I really didn't want to push because it would mean facing the wrath of my mother would probably not be happy to find us up and about so late. Nonetheless, they knew I wasn't bluffly, and dejected, started to stomp towards the door.

Right about as they started to actually leave, I called out, holding my cover as best as possible, "And just to make sure you three don't try and carry out a sneak attack while I'm sleeping, I think I'll just have to stay down here for the night."

Liz just winked at me-quite adorably; Bex gave me her signature, sarcastic eye roll, and of course, Macey had to remark, "You just keep telling herself that Morgan."

"I love you guys too," I said sincerely, because I knew we had won, they knew they had been defeated and would give in, and were just teasing me now.

To prove my point, as each of them walked out the door, they called it back; first Macey, then a crossed looking Bex, and last a sweet looking Liz who had her signature, bright smile on her face.

I stood by the Call button for another full two minutes to make sure they wouldn't try and fool us and jump back through the door, but a girl can only stay up so long and it was extremely late by now.

"Alright Gallagher Girl, I think it's safe," Zach said, sneakily.

I smiled at him, and pretended to look offended," What? No more 'Gallagher Girlfriend?' Just because my best friends were threatening to almost kill you in several, very painful ways, you _already_ want to break up?" I walked closer and closer to him, and then snugged up into the infirmary bed with him, just like that night in the hospital…how many days ago?

"Of course I don't want to break up with; I just think that, Gallagher Girl is my name for you; it will always be. And yeah I love the fact that you're my girlfriend, but it just didn't feel the same calling you anything but Gallagher Girl…unless of course, you would rather have me call you 'Gallagher Girlfriend?'" he asked raising his brows.

"Gallagher Girl works just fine," I answered sweetly," besides, I think you pointed out the fact I'm your girlfriend just tonight to make me get enough light-headedness."

"Oh really?" he asked, eyes widening, with a giant, real smile on his face.

"Mhm," I hummed, leaning him to kiss him.

It was only a short, sweet goodnight kiss as I was already falling asleep but it did the job.

"Night _Gallagher Girl_," he said, his smile still shadowing over his face.

"Night _Blackthorne Boy_," I said, using the nickname I had thought of at first to throw him off at our first…well second, meeting.

And with that, I reached over him to turn off the lamp that had been illuminating the room, and snuggled deeper into his warm, comfortable chest, remembering what this moment now felt like in the dark. Complete, and totally tranquility. Serene. The rest of the world didn't exist in that moment; it was just us, and I've really come to wish lately, that that is all there ever was…

**Hope you enjoyed that :) Hopefully I'll get some extra time in the next two to three weeks and maybe even get two chapters up with Mid-Winter Break coming up…but no promises unfortunately :P So now all I can say is REVIEW all you lovelies and tell me what you think; oh, and I'm running out of pre-planned plots ideas, and if anyone has any, let me know those too :) Otherwise, I'm sure I'll be able to think of something ;) So long for now –All That Is Goode**


	15. Chapter 15

**Here you are ladies and gentlemen. I've had it done for a few days now but haven't had access to the internet. I hope to your great pleasure, this is longer than usual, with about 2,100 words. Except another chapter soon…well at least cross your fingers for one…I can't make any promises…**

**Chapter 15**

**Cammie's POV**

The next week felt so good. For once, the world finally didn't seem to give a rat's tushy about me or what I did. I was in my own little bubble with the people I loved, enjoying the time with them, doing whatever we pleased. At the beginning of the week, two days after I returned, Bex, Macey, and Liz had to leave to pack their bags for school again and visit with their families upon my mom's orders. For the first few days I spent a lot of time with my mom and aunt, before Abby had to suddenly leave on a highly classified mission. I could tell she wasn't worried about me-despite the fact I had a secret organization tracking me and possibly wanting to kill me; she just seemed to know I'd be ok.

The day she left, Mom, Zach, and I went out to say goodbye to her. First Mom went and hugged her, showing how much two sisters-that weren't actually biological sisters-really love each other. Then they muttered between themselves, whispers that even my spy ears couldn't pick up. When they were finished, Aunt Abby and Zach sort of approached each other awkwardly. Zach, trying not to overstep his bounds just kind of stood there with his hands in his pockets until surprisingly, Aunt Abby smirked, "Maybe you're not so bad; doesn't mean I'm not watching you though, Goode."

"Noted," Zach grinned. Then they actually hugged goodbye; this time I heard what she said.

"Take care of her Goode, and try not to hurt yourself further."

"Hey!" I interjected.

They completely ignored me of course.

"I don't plan on letting her get away again anytime soon…but I don't know if I can promise anything about no trouble."

Now it was my turn. I can't tell you it wasn't hard to let her go, to see her leave into the unknown like I have so many times before, all of which I've known that she might not come back. But right now she was standing in front of me, smiling brightly at me, eyes shining. Sometimes I forget how much I miss her.

"Try not to do anymore stupid stuff…you nearly gave your mother a heart attack, and then she almost killed half the amateur agents to get you back," Aunt Abby giggled.

We hugged which was nice; so many feelings said in it that went unspoken.

She whispered into my hair, "Oh, you'll be just fine I'm sure. You're too much like your father…"

I pulled back to see her smiling still, in a dazed sort of way.

I heard my mom behind me, mutter," That's what worries me." I turned around to see her smiling back at me, no sadness weighing her down; Zach was just standing there with his hands in his pockets, watching this whole occurrence with a faint smile.

"Morgan women. We can be a hell of a mess. You'll get used to it, Goode…that is if Cam keeps you around long enough," Aunt Abby spoke jokingly, but her voice seemed to be farther away than right behind me.

I turned back to see her on the other side of the car, driver door open. I quietly sighed, and tried to keep the smile on my face and the tears from my eyes. She wasn't really smiling anymore; she more or less had one of those sideways smiles.

She shrugged," Duty calls…I'll be back; don't worry."

"Just try not to get yourself killed," I tried to smirk, but it mostly came across as a crooked smile, and only partly awkward. I backed up to stand with Mom and Zach, resting my head on Mom's shoulder, Zach wrapping an arm around me.

There are three types of teams: a sports team, a team of agents, and the team that was standing around me now, that wouldn't disperse after the mission was over, a team that I wasn't secretly competing against to better myself in the overall game.

We watched Abby's car disappear and then continued on with our lives, moving on. My mom and I were going to have a movie marathon; I had asked Zach if he had wanted to join us, but he said he thought it would be nice for just the two of us to have time together.

As my mom turned to go back inside I hesitated for a moment. Like only my mother would know what I was thinking, she called back," I'll meet you in my room; try not to be too long…And Goode?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Zach asked rather sheepish.

"I'd tell you to stay on campus grounds but you probably wouldn't listen anyways, so I'm just going to _suggest_ what a good idea it would be." She winked at him mischievously.

"I'll take it into consideration," he smirked, that Zach Goode original smirk.

Then she continued to walk up the stairs, leaving us alone outside in the hot sunshine.

"You'll listen to her won't you? I mean you just got out of a wheelchair…I don't want you back in one." I asked, eyeing him.

"Wouldn't dream of doing anything," he said reassuringly, but I caught the double meaning to his words.

That's great that his sub-consciousness wouldn't do it, but what about the part of him that's in charge of his awake self? But I just let it slide, knowing we had about five minutes to end this conversation before I'd start to agitate my mother.

"So since you get alone time with your mom today, and you'll no doubt spend a day with the girls when they get back, when do _I_ get some alone time with you?" he smirked impishly, wagging his eyebrows.

"I'll just have to see if I have time to work you in," I said shrugging, rather business like.

"What? Have to check your busy schedule to see if you can fit your boyfriend in sometime?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just have too many important people in my life and so many important things to do with them, that I have to make sure my priorities are in line." I said, waiting to see how he reacted from getting his own smirk thrown back at him.

"Well fine!" suddenly, he wasn't smirking, or smiling, or joking; he was angry. "If I'm not significant enough to you, to _fit me in_, then I guess this relationship doesn't mean nearly as much to you as I thought it did. In fact, maybe we should just break up," he said coldly, turning from me and walking towards the mansion.

I was dumbfounded, taken aback, shocked; I could feel my heart slowly start to break… What? Too dramatic?

"Zach," I whispered, stunned, nothing happy or joking left anywhere on my face. He froze, but didn't look back at me.

"I-I was just joking…I'm sorry," I rambled; to my complete astonishment, I felt moisture forming in my eyes. A knot formed in my stomach. He finally turned around.

Is he laughing? Zach Goode suddenly bent over and convulsed in a hysterical fit of laughter in the very spot he had been standing in looking cold and hardened only moments before. He had tears spilling over, clutching his stomach- and not in a painful way. _What the-?_ And then it dawned on me.

_That little _(insert word of choice here)_ tricked me!_

"You-! You-!" I spluttered, angrily, trying to think just exactly what I should say to _him_. "You foul, evil, loathsome little cockroach!" [The last, previous statement solely belongs to Hermione Granger (aka J.K. Rowling)]

In between bouts of laughter he sarcastically asked," I thought you didn't like cockroaches?"

"I don't." I stated rather pointedly. How was that relevant?

"Then why are you dating a _supposed_ cockroach?" he asked, somehow managing to smirk, laugh, and look extremely hot all at the same time.

Of course, it was all a joke to him. If that's the game he wants to play, then two can play it.

"Who says I'm dating one? As I recall me and the now-'cockroach' just broke up…which gives me further reason to hate them, and I could easily have Bex stomp on this one...

"Anyways, I'm single so you should re-interrogate the asset that told you I wasn't," I frowned (faking it of course).

"Haha, you're so funny, Gallagher Girl…but you just can't pull it off like us Big Dogs," he smirked arrogantly.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I asked with the most serious face I have probably ever had. Slowly, his demeanor started to drop. "You even suggested it; I'm just making it official." Even though the words were fake, there was still a real ache in my heart.

"Cam…"

"You were right: I don't like cockroaches. So why would I date one?" and with that I walked past him up the stairs to the grand front doors. Only now did I pause and turn around, serious expression still plastered firmly on my face.

Zach was standing there, looking at me over his shoulder, a bewildered look on his face. Wasn't he going to at least try and fight for me? Even if this was really fake? No, I couldn't give in; I had to keep this up. We stood there staring at one another; I practiced my stone-cold glare, and he looked rather confused.

I didn't have all day to wait to see if this relationship really meant (or had meant I guess) anything to him.

Disappointedly, I uttered," Goodbye Zach," then turned and walked inside. Suddenly wary about what the hell just happened, and what would happen next in the emotional roller coaster infamously known as Zachary Goode; I leaned against the wall inside the doorway. I had a few moments to spare before I needed to be in my mom's room.

With a rush of air, Zach came flying through the doorway, sprinting towards the Grand staircase…shouting my name. He was taking two stairs at a time, and if I didn't say something quick he would be gone, racing towards my mom's room.

_Now this is more like what I had been waiting for._

"Hey Zach…Looking for someone?" I asked, smiling. He spun around, mid step, almost falling from the sudden opposite motion; but didn't-that would be too ungraceful for the poised Zach (rolling my eyes). He didn't come towards me though, just remained frozen where he was.

"Well now since it seems we're both lying, evil cockroaches I guess you'll just have to get over your fear of them," Zach commented quizzically. "That is…" he added, now stepping towards me" if I would take you back…" he finished, smirking conceitedly.

I opened my mouth to say something sarcastically along the lines of "That won't be a problem if you're going to act like that," but somehow he had already reached me. He stopped me mid breath, pressing a finger to my lips.

"Only if…" he continued, humbly and seemingly vulnerable," you'll have me back…?"

I smiled beneath his finger.

"I don't recall us even breaking up in the first place."

He smiled then slung his arms around my waist and picked me up. He kissed me- hard, and I wrapped my dangling legs around his waist. I felt my back being pressed against the wall, his lips crashing on mine, his hair in between my fingertips, his skin on mine, his arms wrapped furiously around my waist; we were holding each other as close as possible, we seemed to fit against each other perfectly. He bent and kissed my jawline, then my neck, then lower to my collarbone.

"Zach…" I murmured huskily. "I…have…to go….We…can't…do this now…"

Instead of his lips on my skin, I felt his forehead rest in the crook of my neck. With a shaky deep breath, he breathed," I know."

"You know that means you have to put me down now…?" I asked smartly.

Like a little boy being told it's time for bed, he replied," I suppose…"

I let go of his waist, and gently, he slid me down the wall 'till my feet were firmly on the ground before releasing me. Not quite finished yet, I leaned upward and gave him a chaste kiss before moving to leave. Remembering something from earlier, I turned around.

"About _our_ time," okay not exactly what he called it, but… "The girls don't get back until Thursday…so tomorrow…I believe…I'm free." I winked.

Having enough of the jokes for one day, he surprisingly answered politely, "It's a date."

I smiled brightly at him; _oh the things this boy does to me…_

Surprising even myself, I strode back over to Zach, giving him one more unexpected kiss. When I pulled back first, I saw him smiling-a real smile, not his signature smirk, but the smile that looks absolutely beautiful on him.

"Go on. Get outta here!" he teased, shouldering me.

"Tomorrow?" I asked again over my shoulder, climbing the staircase as I did.

"Tomorrow, Gallagher Girl…I know, _you just can't wait_," he replied, arrogantly. Did that boy have any other facial expressions besides that smirk?

**A lot of references to things…did you catch them all? Reading back through it, I caught at least three…one is even pointed out ;) Anyways, so what did you think? Let me know in a review…hint hint, wink wink, cough cough ;) Next chapter spoiler… includes the day with her mom, and if it's not long enough, than look forward to some Zachy time ;) –All That Is Goode**


	16. Chapter 16

**First of all: I'm sooooooooooooooo sorry :( After the last chapter, I got so busy with school…stupid school. And once all the pressure ended, I needed a week to recover. (Show week, AP test, and a project that would pass or fail me were due all over the span of the same three days.) Then summer started and I got busy. This past week I went on a cruise which is equal to falling off the edge of the earth. I'm not trying to excuse taking three months to update. I just thought you guys would want to know what took so long. I stayed up until two o clock last night to get this written. I want to say it's for the reviewers, and especially Amy. Thank you. And I hope you get the emails…and I liked your suggestion. This chapter is dedicated to you.**

**Chapter 16**

**Cammie's POV**

Quickly, I ran to my room to change into some comfortable PJs before entering Mom's room. She was occupied popping bowls of popcorn for us and putting in the first movie we had decided on. She stopped at her place by the DVD player and looked around at me with a smile.

"Hi Honey, everything go okay?" she kissed me on the cheek and gave me a hug. Of course when she said 'did everything go okay' she meant 'did everything go okay with Zach?'

"Yes, Mom," I said rolling my eyes like what did she thing happened. "Almost ready to go?"

"Just about. Do you think you could finish putting in the movie while I divide the popcorn?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure."

Five minutes later, we were curled up on her office's couch under a sea of fuzzy, cotton blankets with a bowl of popcorn on each of our laps. The room smelled like burnt popcorn and was loud with the first of the commercials. I should have known better to have Mom finish putting in the movie and leave me to the popcorn, _knowing_ how bad of a cook she can be-yes even with something as easy as popcorn. Oh well, by this point in my life, I was used to her burnt food. In fact, the popcorn tasted ten times better than it would have normally…okay _slight_ exaggeration there. But when on the run for six weeks and starving for something to eat, I began to long for any of her burnt food-and her.

"You okay?" she asked kindly, catching sight of my distant gaze.

"Yeah…I just missed you, that's all."

"Let's not talk about that ok?" she asked, looking away from me.

"Mom, I'm sorry-"

"I know Darling, I know. It's not because I'm mad at you; I don't want to spoil our day. Today is for just the two of us, like old times," she smiled faintly, but it shined brightly.

"Like old times," I repeated, mesmerized by the words. _Like old times._ Old times when I wasn't Cammie Morgan: the girl being hunted by the Circle of Cavan; then it was Cammie Morgan: the Chameleon and that's all there is to it. Back then I hadn't met Zach-or his mother. Back then I knew Joe Solomon was and always would be my teacher and ally; now, that conviction is a wavering boundary that separated two completely different beliefs, two completely different people. Two completely different _lives_.

"Cam, I know you've been trained since you were in seventh grade to think faster than a normal person and to process thoughts at a rapid speed so your observant skills would be superior, but just for today, try and forget all of that. Try to shut it down and just think back when you were little, before all the spy training, how we'd watch sit down and watch Disney movies all day. There was no threat then, no mysteries, no doubt. There was just us and it was just a fun mother-daughter day. So _today_ just don't _think_."

I nodded, remembering some of those days, the good ole days. _Like old times_. Today was going to be one of those days.

"Okay, so tell me," my Mom smiled slyly up at me. We were in between the second and third movie, eating lunch on the coffee table-a lunch _I_ cooked in case anyone was thinking about calling poison control. "What's exactly going on with you and Mr. Goode?"

"His names Zach, Mom; you're allowed to call him that you know," I rolled my eyes. She had had no problem calling Josh "Josh" so why did she and Aunt Abby for that matter have such a hard time calling him his name. You think they'd rather call him that than the last name that reminds them of their old friend that is now trying to either kidnap or kill their daughter/niece. Speaking of which-No, no thinking. I stopped myself as I looked over the edge of the spiraling abyss otherwise known as the "human brain." There was a whirlwind of thoughts ripping around down there and today was an off day but it wouldn't switch off so I was just going to have to avoid it.

"Okay, so…" she looked at me smiling, anxiously waiting for me to look at her and blush maybe or reply with some girly giggle-neither of which I planned on doing-ever, if my life goes according to plan. "Come on, Cam. What's up with you two? You're actually starting to scare me."

Well that not only caught me off guard but knocked me off my feet-and I'm a trained spy.

"What?" I stammered, confused.

"When he's in the same building as you-and allowed to be in that building, might I add-you two are inseparable. He makes you worry and do things in tight situations that are sometimes reckless but work. He confuses you-which is to be expected when you develop girls from such a young age at an all-girls school. And I don't think I've ever seen a boy ever been soon protecting or defensive over a girl he's with. Well…Josh did crash that crane through our drill a year and a half ago. But Zach is always and has always been: you said he appeared to you at a football game or a McHenry-Winters rally, telling you to be careful. Then everything that happened in D.C. and this last semester…he worries about you; he genuinely _cares_ about you." She looked at me with wonder as if she couldn't believe the same Zach Goode that is a constant smart ass and smirks all the time, could also act so kind. I mean, I even had trouble with the concept at times.

"Yeah," was all I could say; what else could I say? "He loves me and I'm in love with him" wouldn't work because 1)we're both trained special agents-scratch that: I'm an agent, he's an assassin-and neither one of us is supposed to fall in love because that's when people get hurt and 2)we were teenagers; she wouldn't believe we truly meant it. Really, what could love mean to us? Is it even real love? Or something we perceive as love because it's the deepest thing we've felt but that's just the hormones distorting how we feel?

That's why she surprised me when she asked," Are you in love with him?" She wasn't condescending; she wasn't critical; she was curious.

"I thought you and every other teacher at the school told me and every other student 'spies don't fall in love'?"

"We warn you not to fall in love because it's safer not only for your physical safety but sometimes your emotional safety. We can't stop it if you do; just like many of us have fallen in love, and gotten married. The thing is with love and spies, is that you have to be ready for the risks. In our world people disappear and you don't know who that'll be. The other thing in our world is that the line of trust may seem solid and strong but it can waver and bend and break. The person you marry-if you marry-he'll know you're secrets-unless you choose to lie to him which is another risk entirely. Anyways, he'll know _you_, Cammie, as Cameron Morgan, as the Chameleon, as the girl the COC wants. He'll be close to you. The problem with us spies is that we've all been taught how to form a trust bond and just as easily shatter it to the ground. So yeah, us teachers-and every other fictional spy movie-" she rolled her eyes at what modern production companies have turned the modern day spy into," preach no love because that gets the job done easier and also because maybe then when you do fall in love for real-if you fall in love-it will really be the right person and you'll have thought about it and will be careful."

_She might as well have given me the no sex talk while she was at it._ For a no-thinking day, that was some pretty deep mom stuff.

"Yeah, Mom, about that; I was just expecting a screw-it answer like 'that stuff's crap; do you love him or not' kind of thing. But thanks anyways," I smiled graciously.

"Sorry…I just totally went Grandma Morgan all over you. Kind of keep what I said in mind though," she said smirking, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "But, back to no-thinking. Just feeling. And how do you feel about Zach? 'Do you love him or not?'" she asked giggling.

I wanted to straight up tell her yes but I didn't want her to think I was silly or juvenile or flighty. So instead I settled for a different truth.

"He has nearly died twice right in front of me and who knows how many other times that boy has narrowly escaped death. But I just know I have never been so scared or sad or worried as those moments when he shouted run and then blew up the cave and I was left to run and think about how he was burning, gone and then when he was bleeding out in my arms. The only other time I have felt like _that_ is when Dad-when we found out-…I don't know if it's true love or real love, but I know I care about him; I know that if he died, I'd have a very hard time picking up the pieces of my life again. And I don't think that has anything to do with teenage emotions." I paused, trying to decide what to say next. I shrugged," I'm in love with him; yes. Would I _just die_ without him? No but I don't think I'd ever be the same. And I think he feels the same way."

After a minute she snorted," I know he does."

I quirked an eyebrow suspiciously at her," How do you know he does?"

"Because of everything I've told you. The fact he took and will continue to take a bullet or knife or bomb or a freaking missile for you. The fact that he was so freaked out when I talked with him a few months ago when you were still recovering and in the infirmary and he had come to drop of Joe. He had been so concerned you hadn't made it out, and then the anger on his face when he learned how his own mother had threatened you and nearly killed you herself; the rage in his eyes towards _his own mother._ The fact that he scoured the entire globe to find you when you decided to play that little game of hide and seek-which is what I should have done, but I listened to the logical head guys and Zach actually said the 'screw you' and did what his heart or his head or some part of him was screaming at him to do. Find you; protect you; get you or keep you safe. And I believe that is exactly what he did; even if he did get shot."  
Here, here all this time I thought my mother despised Zach or at least was uncomfortable about him. But this entire time she has seen exactly what I see about him-just like me. She almost seemed wondrous and marveled by it. Maybe, _maybe_, she was thinking about her and Dad and maybe we act like they used to; but today was a no-thinking day.

"Mom…I don't know what to say," I said looking almost apologetically. S_he understood._ That's all that was important.

"You've already said plenty; and I've said _twice_ my share," she smiled warmingly, teasingly. The atmosphere fell loose again after soothing out its wrinkles and knots.

I smiled brightly back. A lot of people say I'm just like my father-I act just like my father; and that may be true. But I think just like my mother and she thinks just like me. That's what's always made it so easy to talk to her, to admit things to her that I have trouble even thinking to myself. My mother may be angry with my sometimes and she may even by disappointed sometimes, but she will never leave me or forget me or hate me. If it turns out I can't trust her, then there really is no one in this world I can trust. And at that particular moment in time-if it were to come-I do believe my paranoia would mount and I'd go down with as many "bloody traitors" as possible.

"You ready for the third movie?"

"Yeah."

Instead of crawling on my separate side of the couch, I just had to stand over by her side and look at her. It didn't even take a minute before she had figured out just what I wanted. She scooted and curled back into the couch as much as she could so I could fit in the front of her. This time was snuggled together, kind of like the night we found out my Dad was MIA and we crawled into their bed with any piece of clothing we could find of us and she held me as I cried to sleep, and I was there with her as she silently did the same. But today wasn't like that; if with the new discovery about my dad. I had grieved-and I still sometimes do-but I had moved on, and I had found support in Mom and all the Gallagher girls, and Zach. So today, snuggling with Mom again, was a comfort; it was simple and warm. It was loving and caring and kindness. It was _just like old times._

"What's going on between you and Mr. Solomon?" I asked as if someone had suddenly given me a drug to say whatever came to mind. Mom practically spit out an entire mouthful of soup in the process. As spies, we were both getting caught off guard a lot today-and not hiding it very well.

"What?" she stuttered, bewildered.

"Well, I just mean…sometimes the girls-the Gallagher girls-I hear them gossiping about you two and I just never saw it myself but I look back and I can see where that might make sense…"

"Cam, Joe was a very good friend to your father-which I'm sure you already know. In fact, he was Chris's best man in our wedding," she smiled distantly. "The only thing going on between me and Joe Solomon is he has been my support system since we both lost your father. He has been there; he's like a brother. I don't know. Something might happen one day. But not today." She smiled shyly.

We were scooping ice cream into bowls, half way through the fourth movie. Today, we had laughed, cried, and yelled-and that doesn't even include what we felt during the movies. But right now, I was trying hard to let it go; to stop thinking and heading in the dark direction I was. I'm a trained special agent; I'm not allowed to let things go-and even if I was, I wouldn't know how to.

"Do _you_ think he'll wake up?" I looked at her innocent and vulnerable and she mirrored me.

She looked sad and tired," I hope he will, Dear. But hoping doesn't get us anywhere; and it only makes it harder to accept the obvious."

"Which is?" I whispered, croaking.

She wasn't going to answer me though. She just looked up at me with those big and wide, sad brown eyes. And I knew. Wordlessly, Mom got up put the ice cream carton back in the freezer but surprisingly she then put our bowls of ice cream in the fridge.

"What are you doing?" my voice cracked and I realized I was crying.

"I'll get them back out in a minute and then we'll finish the movie. But right now, just come 'ere Hun." She sighed, sitting down next to me and wrapping her arms tight around me, pulling me in. She hugged me as the waves rolled in, hard, fast, and salty.

There weren't very many times in my life when moments like this happened. You're not supposed to have moments like this as a spy. You're supposed to hold it in and not let anyone use it against you. Tears, emotion, trust; they're weapons; deadly and dangerous that can destroy a person. They cloud our thoughts and decisions and cause us to be rash. They not only put our lives in danger but they put those we love in danger.

But my mom wasn't the enemy. You can't choose to love or not love your own father; you just love him. You have to. And you can't just let it go when you lose him. And you can't help if his best friend was your teacher and was always there to protect you and support you. You can't help if you've come to trust him too. First the trust is ripped away and then it comes back in pieces but wavering and vulnerable. Then the man is shattered.

How do you hold that all in? How do you keep that in forever? Some can; I can't. Does that mean it makes me worse spy than those that keep it in? No. It just means that the government and our enemies haven't turned me into a robot-a trained, specialized, mechanized, deadly weapon of ice. It means I'm a spy, but I'm still human. And sometimes, that's my greatest weapon.

I think it was around the fifth movie when I caught Mom sleeping, then again, at that time it was going on 10:30 at night. _I'm_ not saying that's late, but my Mom's job (a CIA special agent/boarding school headmistress) wears her out and the people around her, who are close to her, stress her out (me, Mr. Solomon, even sometimes Abby). I'd never say it to her but sometimes, the gray really stuck out in between all the chestnut brown, and sometimes the dark circles under her eyes just couldn't be masked no matter how much cover-up I know she puts on. What I'm trying to say is: she deserved her sleep. So I continued watching the rest of the movie and when it was over I shut it off. I gave Mom a kiss on her forehead and mumbled a goodnight, then trudged off to my room.

It was early enough that Zach was probably still up. The problem with him is that he most likely was not in an easy to find position, presumably doing something illegal, dangerous, sneaky, or all of the above. Plus, today was about Mom. Tomorrow was Zach. And right now, was just about me.

Before crawling into bed, I grabbed my dad's journal. And began writing.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 1 of 2 here. Yep sorry, Zach's day is just so important and filled up I just had to split it into two chapters. But don't worry it won't affect the length of each-in fact this is probably the longest chapter yet. Oh well that's all I'll say for now other than I'm so sorry it's taken me this long. Okay you can start reading now!**

Chapter 17

Cammie's POV

"Gallagher Girl."

"You who?"

"Snores-alot."

"My God, wake up woman!"

"I _do not_ snore," I mumbled, stiffly pulling the pillow out from under my head to chuck at Zach.

"Ow! Watch it Gallagher Girl otherwise I might think you were trying to hurt me," and he was smirking. I felt the bed shift with the extra weight of someone sitting down and felt a rather annoying, rhythmic poking of my spine.

"Zachary Goode! If you touch me one more time I swear you will KNOW I'm trying to hurt you when my fist connects with your face," I muttered with a voice filled with fire or maybe it was _ice_. I rolled over to lie on my back with my elbows uncomfortably holding me up.

"Gee, you sure aren't the happiest morning person, are ya'? I have a question for you. When you said you'd hit me if I touched you again, does this count?"  
He leaned down and planted a kiss on my grumpy frown. After a moment I began to kiss back and he pulled away-just an inch.

"Hm, well no physical pain or yelling so I'm going to go with-"

"Just shut up." I abruptly shut him up with a rather heated kiss for this early in the morning. That is until I suddenly had the sensation of falling as Zach seemed to just fly away.

"Come on; there'll be plenty of time for that later. Time to get up now though Gallagher Girl; I've got a full day planned and you are putting us behind schedule." Zach was practically on the verge of being considered giddy. He was already hopping around and smiling like a little boy on Christmas. I would have laughed had it not been like 7:30 in the morning and I had stayed up until almost 2:00 writing.  
"Zach…you couldn't have started this fully packed day-I don't know…-at a _decent hour_?" I grimaced.

"Gallagher Girl, it's seven o'clock; most spies get up much earlier than that."

"Yes but most teenagers get up way later than that."

"But you're not like 'most teenagers.'" He stopped at the door and turned back. We stared at each other for a moment. Neither one of us are like "most teenagers," and we're both constantly aware of that.

"No. I guess I'm not," and like the snap of my finger the tension in the air thinned out," but I like my sleep like them."

"This is worth it, don't you think?" he grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth. "You can catch up on sleep tomorrow Gallagher Girl." He made to leave but once again turned back," Oh, and you're mother picked out a nice, little outfit for you to wear. I believe that it's laid out right there," he motioned over to the area where the desk was.

I turned and sure enough, my favorite dress (and the closest thing to what Macey thought was an appropriate fashion choice) was hung over my desk chair. Behind me, I heard Zach say he'd pick me up in a half an hour. I sighed and turned to ask for an hour, using the excuse the more time I had the prettier I'd look for him. But when I looked to the door, he had vanished like a ghost (a signature Zachary Goode move). Despite myself, I smiled and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

With a speedy shave, I was out of the steamy bathroom in ten minutes. While wringing out my damp hair, I picked up the dress my mother had lain out. It was a lilac, lace summer dress that looked nice with my dirty blonde hair. Set up, perfectly on the floor next to the desk chair was a pair of simple white flats, a far more comfortable-and conservative-choice as opposed to something Macey would pick. The outfit was much simpler than most of Macey's _jackets_ alone, but simple was always my thing, and it seemed to work fine for me. Sometimes though, I do wish I could pull off fancy, tight looking dresses-if you could call them that-because Zach is a guy and guys tend to like those things. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I still occasionally wonder why Zach would _pick me_ when he was around dozens of other beautiful, sexy and talented girls. Why he would pick "little over me" over someone like Macey, or Bex, or Tina. But he seemed to like _me_ a whole lot.

Now instead of just standing there looking at the dress, I put it on along with the pearl studs lying on the desk. I went back into the bathroom, brushing my hair and blow drying it. If Macey knew she would kill me for not planning some complicated curl but there wasn't time and my hair really doesn't look bad with just a brush and dry. The area where I needed help however was makeup. I will admit Bex could do this amazing shadow eye that made my average eyes seem to pop. Oh well, Zach was just going to have to admire a more natural look. After applying a bronze eye shadow, I took a second to check the time on my phone. Only approximately 4 minutes and 23 seconds till Zach would be here-which meant only 4 minutes to put on mascara!

You see, I seem to have this obsession with perfect eyelashes; I know, of everything the girls tried to teach me, _that's_ what I pick up on. So naturally it takes me like ten minutes to apply all the layers. Oh well, I'll have to make it ten minutes. So of course, while I'm doing the second eye, my scalpel-ready hand flinches and in the next second I not only poke the crap out of my eye but a giant black spot appears on my cheek.

"Ah crap!"

I rapidly searched the sink counter for my makeup remover and grabbing a cotton ball, got the foreign splotch off my skin in seconds. I had just finished putting on the mascara when I heard Zach knocking on the door.

"One minute!" I don't know why but I uncharacteristically seemed to panic. Maybe it was because, though Zach and I have known each other for a year and a half almost, we'd hardly ever been on a date. Maybe it was because it seemed like I was going on my first date all over again, because going out with a spy-assassin-someone a part of my world, was very different from a small-town boy in a small town.

In my flurry to get my shoes on and open the door, I now only stubbed my toes on the bathroom door frame but tripped and dropped to the floor with a loud _thud_.

"Cam!" Zach shouted, worriedly through the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" I shouted as ok-sounding as I could. There was a sharp pain, cutting my arm. When I looked, I saw it had landed on someone's (cough-Macey's-cough) six-inch stiletto and it had sliced a line through my forearm that was now dripping blood.

"Shoot!" I cursed, biting back tears, and moving to stand-or at least kneel.

"Cammie! What happened? I'm going in."

"No," I stated way too quickly and too alarmed. Well I didn't really want my boyfriend to see me for the first time for our first day, a mess on the floor. It was too late though.

I swear my breath hitched when I looked up to see him standing over me in black slacks and a navy blue shirt, his hair disarrayed enough , standing up here and there that it looked perfect. And his eyes, his eyes were beautiful-eccentric, electric. _That's_ my boyfriend. I hope I wasn't ogling; God knows that's the last thing his ego needs.

"Trying to catch some flies Gallagher Girl?" he smirked.

I guess I thought too soon.

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, if you're more concerned with how you think you look than my bleeding arm than go back and wait outside," I barked harsher than I should have. It put him back in line at least.

His smirk fell away, and his eyes widened with concern," You're bleeding and you weren't going to call me in here? Where? Let me see it-"

"Zach, will you take a chill pill?" I sat up and held out my arm to him. Sure I could take care of it myself, but there are so many things either of us don't actually _need_ each other for, but I _wanted_ him to know I still like him there. I wanted him to think I needed him. Does that make sense? Besides, while he fixed my arm, I could look at him without being caught. Or not…

I had been watching the way his eyes narrowed and relaxed in and out of concentration and the way his lips pursed in attentiveness. You wouldn't think with the look of focus on his face that he would be aware of me staring, and yet without looking up he said," You know, you don't have to cut yourself to get a chance to get me close to you. I'm much cheaper than that and it's less painful for you," he smirked, a lock of his hair fell into his face.

"Whatever," I mumbled, shaking my head while turning to hide my blush of being caught in the act. I turned back to see him finish cleaning up my cut, and then with his head still lowered, looking up at me through his eyelashes and hair. He was gently, almost absentmindedly, drawing imaginary pictures over the top of my skin. His fingers were light and barely there, and yet I felt it done to the bone-as unbelievably cheesy as it sounds.

"So…are we just going to sit here all day?" I asked smiling, not sarcastic in the least.

"Is that what you want? Because I doubt we'd just _sit_ here all day," he said rather suggestively.

I couldn't even think of a comeback to come back from how far off guard his look of a simmered passion he had caught me in.

He just smirked and began to stand, holding is hands out for me to take. Begrudgingly, I held on to them as he pulled me up like a father pulling up a small baby to put on his shoulders. It was probably the most graceful thing I had managed to do-ever. My legs uncrossed and just seemed to float up and my dress glided down my thighs, not even scrunching up in awkward places, coming to hang like it would only on a hanger. I came up to be closer to him than when I was sitting, close enough to kiss and he still had both my hands in his. For a moment I thought we would (kiss) and our day would just be a day of that, but Zach turned and backed away, clearing his throat.

"Put your shoes on Gallagher Girl," he mumbled not unkindly, as he was almost trying not to look at me. _What is his deal?_

I turned to slip into my flats but also to hide the look of confusion he tended to bring out. I made an act of taking extra-long to slip on the second shoe to make sure I had myself under control. I try to separate my spy self from my self; I try not to push all people out and be untrusting of the world. I try to show emotions with those I care about-especially Zach as the relationship already had enough complexities and the last thing it needed were walls shielding what we're both feeling. But sometimes, it just wasn't safe too completely let my guard down.

I spun back towards him now, taking two steps forward to check if my shoes were on properly. The look that awaited me put a smirk on _my_ face, but it changed to something more kind and sweet. It swept away any fears of disappointment and had me feeling like I wasn't a chameleon at all. Which I wasn't these days anyways, but to Zach I wasn't a chameleon, not really ever.

He was standing there staring at me with amazement and wonder, with a look I thought was only something out of gooey, fake, romantic movies.

He had to clear his throat again before he could form a sentence, but it still didn't come out fluid and controlled," Your Mom sure knows how to pick out an outfit for you."

I smirked and tucked a strand of hair behind me ear, shyly. As a reply, I slowly approached him to give him a poised kiss on the cheek.

Smiling, I said," Thank you."

He held out a hand like you would hold out an arm to someone at a ball," Shall we be going then?"

"I guess I'd rather go willingly to whatever you have planned than be surprised and blindfolded."

"Ah shoot, and knew there was a part of this I was forgetting," he winked at me, but began pulling me to the door.

We walked hand in hand through the mansion and I felt as special as a princess in her castle.

"So what is Objective 1?"

"No, no talk about missions or spies or anything- _anything like that_-today. First thing is breakfast."

He pushed open one of the doors to the great hall with his free hand. It looked like it normally did during break except for one table for two that didn't belong. On that table were two plates piled up with much more food than the other. But both had scrambled eggs with bacon and hash browns. Two glasses of orange juice also sat there.

"Did you cook this all by yourself?" I asked amazed.

"I have other talents besides that of a spy and a charmer, than again cooking is one of the skills that makes me charming."

I playfully hit him on the arm but really there was no point in arguing with him on his "charmingness" when I was going out with him.

He walked over and pulled out my chair graciously and I sat down. I thought about how this might be different if we were, say five, in which he would probably only pull out my chair for me to pull it out from under me at the last minute and watch me fall.

I picked up my fork and took a bite of my eggs; I tried to gawk when they tasted like fluffy clouds in my mouth. I saw him looking at me hesitantly his fork just hovering over his food like it was completely forgotten there, as if he was waiting for judgment.

"Hey Zach, if a teacher ever asks you what your backups are if a career of covert affairs fails, tell them chef. M'kay?" I could have teased him and pretended not to like the eggs, but it didn't seem like one of those situations. He needed assurance and honesty.

His apprehension evaporated quite immediately, and he started eating his own food.

Humbly-probably for the first time in his life-he said thank you.

And so our day together began. We ate and talked, mostly light conversation on and off as we ate. Funny topics: what would happen if Liz and Jonas went on a date, how many times would Bex hit or come close to killing Grant if he kept trying to hit on her, what Macey would do if she ever found out that I had almost broke her favorite pair of stilettos earlier. And of course at some point or another we argued which one of knew more ways to kill a person.

That last one doesn't really seem like a normal light, breakfast-kind of conversation does it? Or a funny, teasing one? And yet it was probably the one we smiled and laughed at the most.

When our plates were clear, we sat there still for a few minutes and he reached his hand across the table for mine. I took it of course and he squeezed it comfortingly. Then he sighed and stood.

"Come on Gallagher Girl; time for our next activity," he muttered, nothing like a tour guide.

This time I wrapped my arm around his and leaned into his side as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"So Mr. Mysterious, what's next?"

"First of all, I thought I was Mr. Indestructible?" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him smirking.

"That too. You have many names because each one matches your many personalities."

"Did you just call me bipolar?" he stopped abruptly, turning his head and smiling with disbelief.

"Honey, admit it. Part of the time you can't tell me some scary secret for 'my own good,' another part of the time you tell me 'I shouldn't be around you and to stay away from you,' at other times your extremely protective to the point it can be dangerous for other people and the best part of the time, you act like a sweet boyfriend that isn't even a part of the paranoid spy you normally are." No part of the rant had been mean or accusing or hurtful.

"All right Ms. Black-Cat-Named-Suzy-or lack thereof," he flashed a white-toothed grin and winked. I narrowed my eyes. (He would never let me live that down.)

"Shut up," I mumbled

"Oh, shut up huh? Now look who can't take a joke. Maybe I'm not the only bipolar person. Hey, do you have a pet turtle named Kermit we could ask? What about psychic gold fish, named Bob?"

"No, but I did once have a boyfriend named Zach who died a very painful death; he seemed to like to predict my future and whether or not some people are good or evil."

"Is that right?"

I lifted an eyebrow quizzically and smirked.

"Well then," he muttered to himself and then jumped me, tickling my sides.

"Stop-…Zach-…Quite-…Tickling me-…!" I screeched in between giggles.

Finally I got so tired of it I actually punched him in the solar plex to catch him off guard and then pulled a Gerskinsky and ended on top with his arm twisted around.

"Nice Gallagher Girl. Did your mom teach you that one?" he twisted around his head to look at me and I could see him smirking. "Maybe she taught you this too." The next second he had hooked his legs over and around mine, managed to flip us over and have both my hands trapped in just one of his. "Tip number one, Gallagher Girl, don't leave a loose knot untied."

I will admit, I should not say what I'm about to say but I could not stand to see that smirk on his face for one more second.

"Who taught you that one? Did _they_ or was it _your_ mom?"

He froze, his jaw stiffened and his hand was suddenly clenched around my hands. He looked at me, a mixture of hurt, disbelief, and anger. Shaking his head angrily, he untangled himself from me and stood up.

"That was low Cammie; that was way too far." That's all he said, but the fact he didn't call me my usual nickname meant he was serious.

I had regretted the words before I'd even said them, but nothing made me regret them more than the look of betrayal on his face when he began to storm away.

Realizing he wasn't going to just brood about it for a minute or shout at me and then move on, I began to panic.

"Zach! I'm sorry!" I should have realized sooner how badly our words can hurt, how badly they would have hurt him. God, I hope he'll forgive me.

He paused at least in his stride, halfway to the door already; but he didn't look back. I took that as just a sliver of hesitation-and that was all I needed. I stood up now and began to slowly pace towards him as if he was a pretty bird and I was a little girl wanting to touch the bird but having to creep towards it so as not to scare it away. But in the end it doesn't matter how slow you go or how close you get because they always fly away.

I had made to the point when you reach out your hand, just inches away," I didn't-I wasn't trying to-I'm sorry. You know I don't-"

"Cam-honestly-I don't really want to hear it right now." And then he flew away.

**So I could have kept going from here but it sounded like a good place to end for now. Especially since this alone was 3500 words and to write the rest of the day would be another 3500 words. I'm sure you all wouldn't mind taking it in 2 parts so you didn't have to wait who knows all long to get the whole thing. Actually, I didn't plan on this being so long but I just thought of some ideas and it turned into something larger than I thought it would. School is a-mind my language-b#$* but maybe I'll get some free time over the next couple of weekends. I hope you all enjoy your Labor Day and this chapter. Review please-it keeps me going! –All That Is Goode**


	18. Chapter 18

**Because you all are soo amazing, I worked all day today to get you another chapter because I was so happy to get like 10 reviews in less than 24 hours. It's not the full part 2, because it was all I had time for, and sadly the last part of their day might not be up for a little because I **_**was**_** supposed to be doing make up work that I will now have to do later tonight and tomorrow…and like I've previously stated school's a B$#&-at least when you have an AP class and adv chemistry in the same semester. Hope you enjoy Chapter 18!**

Chapter 18

Cammie's POV

**Eight hundred hours and thirty minutes: Operative Morgan stood there, scared and lost.**

**Eight hundred hours and forty-five minutes: Operative Morgan wondered if she should go find him or give him space, still standing in the Great Hall.**

**Nine hundred hours: Operative Morgan began to search the mansion, having no luck finding Zachary Goode (here after referred to as "The Subject").**

**Nine hundred hours and fifteen minutes: The Operative has had no luck absently searching the academy for the Subject. The Subject was not found in his room, my room, the yard, Great Hall, East Wing, West Wing. The Subject cannot be found.**

**Nine hundred hours and thirty minutes: The Operative gave up.**

After searching Gallagher mansion for thirty minutes and finding no sign of Zach, I suddenly felt as if the gravity of what could happen now hit me. My back hit the wall and I felt myself sliding to the ground. I didn't cry; it still just felt like a nightmare right now. I sat there with my head in my hands and my hands on my knees. It felt like I had held my breath the whole time I had searched the house and now with a sigh and a big huff, it came out.

"Oh kiddo, I know what that means," I heard my mother's voice sigh, and felt her sit down next to me. "What happened Hun?"

I lifted my head but kept my chin in the crux of my knees," I said something I knew would hurt him. I didn't want it to hurt him so much, but I took the joke too far. And now…I'm afraid he's gone. I can't find him. I'm afraid he's gone and won't come back."

"Well, what did you say?"

"We were basically having a training practice. I pulled a move on him and he asked if 'my mom taught me that' and then he countered it. I wasn't mad at him; I just wanted to wipe that smirk off his face," I found myself smiling relatively, thinking about his smirk and how hot he looked sometimes.

"Cameron, what did you say?" she asked a little more firmly.

"I asked him if they taught him that or his mom," saying it to Zach made me feel forlorn but telling Mom made me feel ashamed and I held my head in my hands again to hide from her.

"Cammie you didn't. Oh Cammie-"

"Mom! I know. I wasn't trying to accuse him or…I wasn't mad at him. It was just supposed to be a smart ass comment."

"Cam, the thing is, it's not just a light comment to joke about. I think-honestly-Zach's still not sure how you feel about who he is and who she is. I think he doesn't know whether you're mad at him for not telling you. It's just something that is still fresh in everyone's minds that you can't use it against him. Not now-probably not ever. He's definitely not proud of that side of him, and darling you're really going to push him away if he feels like you're disappointed in him."

"I'm not; I have told him that I don't care who is mother is or who he used to be-"

"Yes, but maybe _he_ hasn't let it go yet. Maybe he hasn't accepted that that was just a part of his past, a part that he won't be judged for."

"And I want to tell him that; I want to fix this. But I can't find him."

"We are talking about Zach here Sweetie. If he doesn't want to be found-kinda like you-he's not going to be. You're probably just going to have to wait until he finds you."

"I'm worried though that by the time that happens, he'll have made up my mind that this isn't going to work," that was the reason I couldn't wait for him to find me, not so I could apologize but so I could stop him from deciding this was all a mistake. He would decide that I hadn't forgiven him; he would think I needed protecting from him and his "screwed-up" past and he'd leave. Only, this time, he might not come back.

"I doubt that boy would just leave you so easily, as mad as you think he is. I think it would take a lot more than one comment out of a joke. I think you guys just need to talk about it; I think he needs to come to the point that he knows you don't hold him by the actions of his mother. And then I think it'll be okay."

My mom lies to me when she knows the truth could hurt me, or when she thinks it would put me in danger. She would lie to me now if she thought it's what I wanted to hear. She could be very wrong. But somehow it seemed liked she was speaking honestly; I just wouldn't believe her until Zach kissed me again.

She rubbed my shoulder comfortingly, but moved to stand.

"Sorry kiddo, but I've got to go to a meeting," she said regretfully and with something else.

"Oh?" I asked, obviously interested but giving her room for secrecy.

"I'll tell you, but are you sure you want to know?"  
She was scaring me," What is it; what do you mean?"

"I have to interview the Cove Ops teacher prospectives that will…be here until…Joe is ready to come back."

"Do you really-"

"I have to." She said adamantly. "I can't-to lose them both-"

"Mom, it's ok. Nevermind."

"It's alright. Anyways, so I'll be gone for a couple of hours-which I don't like. Especially since Zach will be the only other person here, and though that boy would definitely die for you, if he's avoiding you, he's no good to me as your bodyguard."

She was already joking about it! "Mom!"

She was smiling, and somehow along the way, I had started to smile," Well there are some serious people after you and he is better than a dedicated CIA agent because they both stick to your side but you'll actually stick to his side too."

"Oh that's great you're so ready to sacrifice my boyfriend Mom. As if he's not already prepared himself to jump in front of a bullet." I rolled my eyes at the two of them, and smiled at how silly they were. He was. And then I thought what if it wasn't there anymore to be silly and protective-and die for me according to my mom. Yeah, not pretty thoughts.

"Keep your head up for now Honey. I love you."

"Love you too," I sighed.

"Hey and until he starts speaking to you again," leave it to my mom to joke," try not to go outside by yourself."

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm on lock down. Go on; get outta here."

"Oh right, I forgot, you're going to be a _senior_ now huh."

"That's right."

"We've kind of all forgotten with all the drama of this summer and last year."

"That and I guess it just hasn't felt like my _last_ year yet too."

She had made it to the end of the hall and turned back to smile at me," It will, just wait."

And then she left me alone.

**10 hundred hours:** **The Operative finally moved from her spot on the floor. Wishing to find a secret passageway, she walked past the one hidden behind the Gilly Gallagher tapestry.**

I knew all the passageways had been sealed. But just on a hope that maybe the expert, highly trained agents missed something, I checked the passageway. Someone was looking down on me, because the tunnel opened up and I walked in. It had been so long since I'd been in one of my tunnels and how this one was missed I'll always wonder. I strolled down the circular, stone tunnel, running my hand along the cold wall. I breathed in the musty scent that was a mix of fresh air and dust.

But something was wrong. Something was off in the air. There was something else, _someone_ else here. Oh my God! What if the Circle had gotten in? What if-

I recognized the scent though. I _knew_ that smell, the smell of cologne. Coming from behind me.

I spun around to come face to face with one, Zachary Goode. His face was illuminated in shadows; they fell over his face and features, creating long, dark physics.

I don't want to say he scared me or that I didn't hear him coming, but the fact that it could have been someone who was dangerous scared me.

I gasped.

"Relax Gallagher Girl," he didn't even smile or smirk at my fright; he looked grim but at least not annoyed.

"Have you been following me?" I asked accusingly.

"Actually I was here first this time."

"Oh," I said, genuinely surprised.

He sounded sad, lost. _Zach doesn't sound lost._

"Zach-" I said but stopped, still debating whether now was that time to talk or if he still needed space. Well I guess I was going to find out.

"Look. Cam. I-"

"I'm sorry-" we both said regrettably, at the same time.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked confused. "I'm the one who made you feel like I still hadn't forgiven you for not telling me. I'm the one who made you think I might still judge you based on who you were brought up by. I-"

"Cammie, just breathe for a second," he said relaxed, but still no smile, as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I shouldn't have run away; and I shouldn't have gotten as…upset, I guess, as I did. I knew you weren't trying to hurt me, I just-the thought that you might not feel-not see me-as you did before you knew about them, it scared me. I thought that as much as we deny it, maybe it has all changed. I'm the same but part of what you know, a _part_ of me _is_ different. I'm not the paranoid, protective, mysterious guy I was sophomore year, now I'm Pyscho's son who grew up in school that looks like Guantanamo Bay except the students and treated and trained harsher than most militaries of the world. I'm the scary, ruthless guy everyone's afraid of-"

"_Zachary Goode, you stop it right now._ Don't you dare think that! Don't you dare think that I see you any differently, that I think of you any differently. You are not a cruel, merciless killer-or person. Zach you may be related to your mom, you might look like her, but you are _nothing_ like her. You are kind and sweet; you are protective. You give a cent about people and how they feel and if they're in danger. All that training and torture-for lack of a better word-just made you a better…assassin, but _it did not_ affect who you are as a person. It only made you stronger. Zachary Goode, I love you," _and I feel guilty for making you feel lost_," and I do not nor will not change how I feel because of something that was out of your control. But the part you did control is that part of you is human."

"Cammie, I've done things though; things I'm not proud of nor things you would want to know. They're bad, Cam," he looked so guilty, so hurt, and _ashamed_.

I looked down, almost scared of the weight he added to what he said, how heavy his feelings seemed to be weighing down his face. I knew he had killed people, I knew that when he told me he was an assassin. But maybe that wasn't all. It didn't matter though. He wasn't that person.

"Zach," I stepped forward, though a little shakily, messing with his collar and the folds of his shirt," look at me," he had been looking down at our feet instead," _look at me._" his eyes came up to look at me, wide and scared that this would be the end. "I will not say it again. Just let it _go_ Zach. This _guilt_ you carry around, the pain, the fear that one day I'm going to wake up and realize you're a monster. _It will not happen; it is not going to happen._ And it's not because I don't know what you did; I understand that…that you killed people, still maybe. But you are _more_ than that. Do _you_ understand?"

For the first time, he smiled-dimly-sadly, but a smile," For now at least."

"Goode, I love you," I whispered, and smiled warmly, coming within inches of his face.

"Gallagher Girl-"

"I know just kiss me now though," I muttered, and he complied, putting his hand behind my head and pulling me into him.

Kissing had become a normal day-to-day thing for us…but not this kind. Not something so intense and profound with feeling. It was him doing what I asked, letting go of everything that has weighed him down-the past he's been carrying for years-his whole life. And he had put that release into the passion of a kiss filled with need and want. His hands were in my hair, or cupped around my face, or traveling down my neck and shoulder and arms to lie on my waist. I held his face in my hands, and raked my fingers through his hair.

There was so much tension, so much distance we were trying to cover-and trying to do it quickly. It probably wasn't healthy.

But then I was starting to get cold in this dark and damp tunnel, and chilly stone wall on my back wasn't helping. That was right about when I felt his hands start to move up my shirt, causing even larger goose bumps to ghost across my skin. My body was tingling and now I wasn't sure if it was the cold or Zach. But then my teeth were going to start chattering.

"Zach," I mumbled, bringing my head back, resurfacing for air," not here."

"Yeah," he whispered-smirking of course," you're probably right…So you want to take this to _another location_?" he wagged his eyebrows teasingly.

I smacked him on the arm-hard," Not if you're going to be like that!"

"Come on, Gallagher Girl, you know I'm just teasing. Besides we have to get back to that day I have planned."

"Oh right, I hope we haven't missed too much of your fun filled day," I genuinely pouted; he had been really excited for today and put a lot of effort into it.

"Only about two hours-that's not bad. You ready Mademoiselle?"

"Lead the way Monsieur," I smiled brightly.

He then, yes Zachary Goode, poked my arm and said," Tag, you're it."

"Zach?" I looked at him like he might have the flu. "Are you okay?"

Then he started running, back down the tunnel, turning back around to smirk," Catch me if you can Gallagher Girl."

_I do believe that's a dare._ And I began racing after him, feeling like a spy on a covert mission again. _It's been wayyy too long!_

**So what'd you think? Two chapters in a day? I know right? Is the world coming to an end? Well mine will when I don't have my AP make up work done tomorrow…But you guys deserved this! Review and let me know what you think! The reviews are what got this chapter up less than 24 hours after the last one and it's been a while since I've done that…Most of the time it takes months. Hopefully I'll have another chapter maybe this weekend…but every time I say that it never happens. But I'll try-and reviews help!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Wow it's been awhile. This chapter might be little...un-edited towards the end. I was watching a movie while i wrote it so who knows what it's like. I have big tests tomorrow and I'm too tired to read through it. I hope you enjoy it though.**

Chapter 19

Cammie's POV

Being in the summer, the sun was shining brilliantly overhead. The leaves and grass were that bright, lush, healthy green they are only when they've had plenty of rain. I was going to catch him; he was only a yard or two ahead of me as he turned the corner of the mansion towards the field. Little did I know he was leading me to a trap-okay maybe "trap" wasn't the right word to use.

As I turned the corner, I stopped where I was and gaped at what I saw. There was smirking Zach, standing next to a blanket with a picnic basket set on the corner. We were in the field toward the back of the mansion and at this time of year it was full of daisies and wildflowers, lilacs and those white-fuzzy things.

Zach started strutting towards me," I told you you wouldn't catch me." He put his arms around my waist and pulled me towards him, as he leaned down for a kiss. I played along until right before our lips met and whispered," You didn't think I'd give up this easily?" and then I twisted out of his hold and sprinted towards the tall grass. I ran my fingers over the tops of the pointed tips of the grass and turned back to smirk at him. He was standing where I left him, his hands in his pockets.

"You know," he said," it probably isn't a good idea you're so out in the open like that. The COC probably has a satellite videoing you right this moment."

What he said sent a chill down my spine.

"Not funny Zach. And I thought we said no talk of _them_ today?"

"So did I but that didn't stop you."

I looked down, ashamed and not quite sure how to respond to that. Next thing I knew there was an arm around my waist and I was being tackled to the ground. Mr. Goode was laughing.

"Gallagher Girl, you should know by now 1. Don't let your enemy get to you and 2. Don't turn your back on your enemy," he was smirking as he leaned over me.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize we were on joking terms with that yet." I replied gruffly; trying to hide my embarrassment at being tackled.

"It's okay. I'm glad you thought I was still mad, because then I couldn't have tackled you and now I wouldn't be able to do this."

He closed the very small gap between us and kissed me. His lips were soft on mine and he held some of his weight on his elbows so he wouldn't be lying completely on top of me. I ran my fingers through his hair and it was warm from baking in the sun.

"Well I certainly hope the COC isn't watching this; then they'd be obsessive, creepy murderers."

He snorted and kept kissing me.

"Hey Zach," I stopped and looked at him with a smile on my face," what's in the basket?"

"You ready for lunch already?"

"I just want to know what the infamous chef concocted now," I winked.

"Well, the lady of the house gets what she asks for."

He stood up and then reached out his hand to help me. Hand in hand we walked back towards the picnic, which I now saw was perfectly put in the large shade of a nearby dogwood.

We sat on the blanket, leaning on one another. He began to pull things out of the basket.

"I tried to make some of your favorites," he smiled. First came out a Tupperware bowl," Macaroni and cheese," next," fresh purple, _seedless_ grapes, homemade chocolate chip cookies," and last," two bottles of water."

"Simple, yet perfect," I smiled gratefully, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Sounds like you," he complimented, only a couple inches away, staring at me happily.

I blushed and looked away shyly.

"So are we going to eat this food?" he asked, grinning.

"Well I don't know. What does your schedule say?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Forget the schedule. My stomach says 'let's eat.'"

"That's because you're _always_ hungry," I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"True."

I don't know what it is, but I have always loved simple macaroni and cheese; possibly because it's the one decent thing my mom can make. Maybe it's all those Sundays Dad would make it when I was a little girl, and the three of us would have it for lunch while watching the weekly movie. Good times. Just like these.

"Are you okay?" he asked squinting from the sun, looking concerned. Looking like a golden angel.

I gazed at him, feeling a smile slide in place. Taking a deep breath and shaking my head, I looked away. "I'm…" I paused, searching for the right word. I looked back up at him, grinning," wonderful."

"Is that so?" he smirked, plopping a grape in his mouth.

"Yes, as much as I'll probably regret telling you it."

"Now why," he shifted so our bodies ran parallel with one another, his arm reached up to tuck away my hair and then glided down my shoulder," would you regret that?"

"Oh I don't know," I shrugged, trying to force down a grin.

"Well I think the Lady has every right to be happy."

"What about you? Are you happy Zach?"

He seemed taken off guard; his hand fell down my arm. Regaining himself, he rested his hand on mine. He breathed heavily," You know. I'm-…well…" he seemed confused. What made him so torn; he had seemed fine? He looked lost all of a sudden as if something far away had caught up to him. It made me feel sad.

I kissed him, leaning forward and closing the very small distance between us. His hand held my face. I turned so I was leaning into him using his chest for support and circling the top of his neck and jaw line with my hands, loving the way his sun-kissed skin felt warm to the touch. Now both his hands were cupping my face, and gently he pushed me backwards, lying me down.

He held his weight over me on his elbows. The kisses weren't fiery and heated, but chaste and slow. Nice for a picnic in a field in the middle of the day.

Zach stopped, lifting his head above mine. He smiled.

"To answer your question, right now, I'm doing pretty good."

"I wonder why that is," I smirked, locking my arms around his head.

"Ms. Gallagher Girl, I do believe you've spent entirely too much time around me." There was that infamous Zachary Goode smirk.

"Look, you can either kiss me or give me a chocolate chip cookie to eat. You're choice."

"Someone wants to try a cookie? Someone actually likes my cooking skills?"

"Yeah yeah, just hand over the cookie and no one gets hurt."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up into a sitting position. Then he reached behind him and picked out two cookies, handing one to me.

"A cookie for ma' lady," he grinned with a slight bow of his head.

"How kind dear sir; why thank you." The cookie was soft and chewy, the chocolate perfectly melted. It was perfect-and I'm not just talking about the cookie.

The day had gone nicely ever since the one incident this morning. After lunch and making out a little longer, he took me for a walk, kissed a little more. Then we went inside, played some games in which I totally kicked his butt-no matter what his version is. Somehow we ended up in an all-out brawl but that was just more for bragging rights.

Now he had just dropped me back off at my room, telling me to get dressed up in something really nice, like he was taking me to a really nice, formal restaurant. He didn't tell me why; I knew it wasn't because he was actually taking me to that formal of a restaurant because they didn't really have any of those in Rosewood. He shook his head and said," It's a surprise." Normally I hate it when he's all mysterious, but in this case it was exciting.

I looked in Macey's closet first, knowing she would have the most appropriate dress for such an occasion as this. She didn't disappoint; it's like she had known I would need something of hers. In her closet hung two things: one was a silver sequined dress that clung to my skin, wasn't short enough to make me look like a hag and not too long to be too modest. The other thing was a black cashmere shrug. I had the shoes: black heals, the expensive boot kind.

He wasn't picking me up until six-thirty, so I decided to curl my hair since it was only five-forty five now. By the time he knocked on my door, my hair fell in bouncing thin ringlets and I had redone my makeup with a silver blue eye shadow. He had changed too. He now wore black slacks and a green dress shirt that complimented his eyes. He was gorgeous and he was mine.

He was leaning up against the doorframe, one arm raised above his head, the other in his pocket.

"You ready to go?" Zach asked.

"On time as always."

Zach took my hand to draw me near to his side and then put his arm around my waist.

"So now can you tell me where we're going?" I asked hopefully.

"Patience Gallagher Girl; I think you'll like it better if you're just surprised." He smiled and kissed my cheek.

"Alright alright," I rolled my eyes but beamed. My stomach was wringing anxiously, a million butterflies zooming around inside.

It seemed like we were just aimlessly wandering the halls of Gallagher mansion. It was probably part of his plan.

I wasn't quite sure where he planned on taking me, but was even more surprised when we reached our destination: the top of the pigeon tower, where we had planned how to go after Dad's journal. Where Zach and I had shared a private moment after he blew up the tombs. When he asked me to run away with him. And then I went alone. But this was no longer the top of an abandoned, spider-filled, and dusty tower. Strung down from the ceiling were lights, those white ones that Italian restaurants sometimes hang. Candles, dozens of candles, covered anything off the floor, and they were already lit; their flames flickered and glowed the purest light if you stared hard enough.

"Is this what you were doing all of yesterday?"

"This and a few other things."

"All legal I hope..."

"It's best if I don't tell you-"

"_Zach_-"

"However, nothing too dangerous."

I glared at him a moment more before looking back at the room in awe. It was a ball of white, shimmering light. Romantic and beautiful. He had a table set up, place settings laid up and everything; a vase of red roses sat in the middle, petals thrown around the whole room.

"Zach-" I whispered, amazed, unable to find the perfect words because "thank you" wasn't enough.

He was standing quietly behind me, his hands in his pockets; he was staring at me with that piercing gaze. I stood there fidgeting with my hands, smiling at him gratefully.

"You know you don't have to say anything," he smiled, looking at his feet. "You deserve this. Think of it as an apology for all those times I was a jerk to you-or will probably be a jerk to you."

I started walking toward him, one step, pause, step, pause.

"Most boyfriends just give their girlfriends flowers when they're trying to apologize; mine did this," I motioned around the room, spinning.

He shifted," Yes well, those are normal boyfriends who live in a normal, oblivious world. They're not spies."

"That only makes me all the more lucky," I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck after finally reaching him.

He put his hands on my waist as I kissed him. After a while I pulled away, biting my lip, breathing heavy and smiling.

"God I love you," I whispered.

Suddenly something changed. His eyes shifted from happy to guilty; his body went from relaxed to stiff.

"Zach…what's wrong?" I asked warily. Did he sense an attack?

"Cammie…" he trailed off, not looking at me and moving arm's length away.

I stepped towards him again," Zach."

"When I said 'I love you' before…I was severely drugged; I had almost died…I-I think it was a mistake. I'm not saying I don't love you; Cammie, I have never cared about someone as much as I do you, but spie-_assassins_ like me-we're not taught how to love; we're told not to. I'm not saying I'll never love you, but I think it's too complicated right now for that." He wasn't looking at me; he had backed away to the opposite side of the room. He was talking like he didn't really want to say it-like someone was forcing him to.

"I-I don't understand; what are you trying to say? You want to break up? After you did all of _this_?" I asked, hurt.

"No, Cam, I just…don't think I love you yet. I mean we're only teenagers. Plus, my mom is trying to kill you. That alone complicates things and if we add _love_ to it, we'll never get through it."

Why is he doing this? His words hurt more than most things I had been through. They stung at me. I just couldn't decide if I was more upset or angrier at him. I was confused beyond all hell.

"Come on, this wasn't what this was supposed to be about; today was supposed to be just you and me. It's supposed to be special," he muttered angrily, but he was more mumbling to himself than to me. "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. Let's just...forget about this conversation for now, let's just put it off until later, and let's be happy tonight. Please Cammie?" Now he looked at me, pleading with me, as if he didn't even realize, maybe didn't care how much he had offended me-rejected me.

I tried to speak, but air came out and tears started to build up in my eyes. I just shook my head, rolled my shoulders, and started strutting towards him. Before he could even look at me, I slapped him as hard as I could so maybe he would feel some of the whirl wind I felt. The contact rang around the room and then I left, hiding the showers of tears from my eyes.

I heard footsteps behind me; Zach was yelling my name," Cam please, wait!"

I wasn't running fast enough because of the tears clouding my vision. A moment later I felt a hand encircle my arm and try to turn me around. I turned around all right, and slapped him again. Zach didn't let me go though, so I tried wiggle out of his grasp, to get away from him but now he was gripping both my arms.

"Cammie. Cam. Look at me. Gallagher Girl-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! Let go of me!" I shrieked, now unable to stop the heaves. Zach was nothing but a blur.

"Just listen to me!" he yelled, sounding desperate; I almost wish I could see his eyes, see if there was any hurt in them like mine. I didn't want to listen to him; I wanted to run away; I wanted to think. I kept fighting him.

"Cam, just STOP for a minute! Just-PLEASE-you don't understand right now; I promise-I-I can't tell you." He looked down, ashamed.

"Oh, is that right. You can't tell me something; well isn't that just _normal_! _You_ can't tell me something; my _mother_ can't tell me something; the freaking _CIA_ can't tell me something. It's _top secret, confidential_ information. _Blah, blah, blah. _Well you know what Zach, I am so SICKhearing that! I thought we were past that."

"It's not all you think it is; and it's not that I don't like you at all. There is not another person on this planet I care about, depend on, worry about more than you. I left my mother for you. Just please, don't let this one thing ruin everything." Was he...crying? No it just must sound like it. Zachary Goode does not cry.

"I-I-it...I can't do this right now Zach," I whispered after finally stopping my fight. "I can't look at you right now-and it's not all your fault," I muttered, exhausted suddenly.

"Then what else is there?"

"Because-I_-_well,-" I knew what it was, but I no longer knew if I should tell him, if I _could_ tell him. The truth is, it wasn't an earth-ending big deal that he didn't love me like I thought he did-like _everyone_ thought he did. It was that I felt stupid, and rejected for loving him. I felt embarrassed by both those and it was hard at the moment to not be mad at him for making me feel like that.

"Cam...I-I'm sorry," he whispered, so compassionately. "I want to tell you so bad right now that I love you, but I can't and one day you'll know why-one day I will tell you why and that same day I'll say I love you but...today it's not safe for me to."

"As in your _heart's_ not _safe_ to open up to me? Is that what you're trying to say?" I sneered, hurt even more by my impression of what he said.

"No! That's not it at all. I trust you with not only that but my life. Gallagher Girl...I know you're upset and I know I can't fix that. I know you need time, but please, _please_ don't give this up. It really just got started."

"I need a little time...a day or two maybe." Was all I said, not looking at him anymore. It had been too dangerous looking into his pleading eyes. If I had looked any longer I may have forgiven him right then. "And I need it to be away from you." My voice shook.

He swallowed," Does that mean you want me to leave Gallagher mansion?"

"No...it's too dangerous for you to leave...I just, I can't be around you right now." I whispered and it felt like I had been shot in the chest, pressure building and building. Pain was locked in and shooting through my veins. I turned and walked away, and then I began to run.

I thought I could trust Zach; I thought he would always be there for me; I thought he had changed. I was wrong. He couldn't be trusted; he was a jerk; and he couldn't know how much I cared about him-how much he could hurt me. Now I know why spies aren't supposed to fall in love-why _anyone_ shouldn't fall in love. It's too dangerous for oneself; when you allow yourself to care so much about someone, you're only giving them so much power over you and you're only opening yourself up to the strength that person has to tear you down in an instant. So many questions ran through my mind because ultimately this whole situation didn't make sense. The biggest question: was this the end?

**I've been planning this for awhile. Don't worry one day it will all make sense. Please don't kill me. Alrighty guys, I'm going to be realistic and say that the next chapter will probably be a Christmas gift in about two weeks-which isn't as long as you had to wait for this one. Review please! Love you guys! Again, try not to kill me 'kay? Oh and after reading through this, I kinda felt like "We found love in a hopeless place" by Rihanna would sorta go along with the end of this...What do you think? Until next time -AllThatisGoode**


	20. APOLOGY AND NEWS

Hi everyone! I would like to apologize for not completing this story. I started writing it in 2010 as a method to break my writer's block that I was experiencing while writing my novel. At the point that I stopped writing this, the situation had flipped and I was now experiencing writer's block with this story as the original plot as I had planned had run its course, meanwhile inspiration for my book began to pick up. I will not be finishing this story in conjunction with how I had planned years ago but I could rewrite the last chapter that a posted to leave you with a less-frustrating and sad ending. Comment and let me know if you'd like that. I have now self-published that novel I was working on if you have liked my style of writing in this fan fiction and would like to check out my novel called "Spiraling: The Forgotten" by Valerie Mannebach. You can purchase it at Amazon. It is also available as an ebook on kindle. You can find plot summaries on these pages and on my personal website That this site keeps deleting in the text. If it sounds cool and you'd like to buy it, if you buy the paperback off amazon the ebook is free! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed the final GG book! Can't believe it's over!


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